It takes two
by Loveforthestory
Summary: Set loosely somewhere in season 2, all focussed around Charlie and Bass. One summer night, Charlie and Bass have to share a small house when on the road. Charlie challenges Bass, she just did not expect he would accept the challenge. It's the start of an interesting set of moves between the both of them,when they are in the middle of fighting the patriots. Charloe!
1. Chapter 1 Two can play that game

_**Hey you, welcome to the first chapter from 'It takes two...' Set somewhere in second two, full with... Charloe of course :) My other stories, like Things Change, follow the second season, but this one is more loosely situated in season 2, focussed around Charlie and Bass. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Revolution, just a daydream about what could happen too :)**_

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Charlie pulled the tank top over her head. Through the window, the glass broken, she could see the day coming to an end. The bright blue sky from the day gave way for darkness. Her body felt tired, her skin sticky with sweat from the miles they had covered today. Next to her the bliss of a bath, filled with warm water.

When they had stumbled on this empty house, far enough from the main road to give them some cover, Charlie couldn't believe her luck when she realised the stove in the messy and abandoned kitchen was still working, right before she discovered the bath tub.

It took her some time and perseverance, plus an amusing look from _him_, but the bath was full, steam finding it's way through the small bathroom.

She had tried to ignore Monroe, but the arrogant bastard was sitting at the kitchen table with his boots firmly planted on the table like he was royalty, a drink in his hand. She had closed the door firmly behind her, leaning into the door for a moment.

There was an unusual chilliness in the air for the time of the year, and she shivered for a moment. Her jeans, bra and panties joined her top and boots in a small pile on the floor. She let herself slowly glide into the warm water, a small sigh leaving her lips when she was finally able to relax, the water surrounding her.

Bass had watched Charlie and her stubbornness at work when she had been determined to fill the tub with warm water. Right now he was doing his best not to think about her body in that tub. _Damn it._ It was time for another drink. A drink and then something to keep his hands busy.

When she had offered to join him on their scouting trip, he was surprised. But there was a part of him that didn't mind. At the end of the day she could be good company, she was smart and could stand on her own. It also helped that she somehow stopped putting an arrow, bullet or knife into his sorry ass.

When he heard her deep sigh coming from the other side of the wall, a part of his body react that shouldn't righ now, he simply couldn't keep his mouth shut.

'_Everything all right, Charlotte?'_ his tone teasing.

'_You don't exist right now, Monroe,'_ She snapped back at him. God, Charlie wished this house was larger, she wished for thicker walls. But at the same time his voice send a shiver through her spine.

They had spent the whole day on the road together, reminding her of all those week she spent with him, travelling from Vegas back to Willoughby. Things had somewhat changed between them, in the way that she had stopped wanting him dead and that she had stopped the actual attempts on his life.

Charlie found out they could actually work together when they had too, pretty well. That didn't mean he was still an arrogant son of a bitch, and instead of killing him, she still wanted to break his nose at a daily basis. But, he had his moments, his company not being the worst kind of the world at times. He gave her space to take care of herself and his stories from happier days with Miles, were highly amusing, although she would never admit that to him.

They were on a scouting trip, looking for possible safe houses and all the information they could get on the patriots who were scattered all around this part of Texas. Miles was still recovering from the nasty infection on his hand, needing her grandfather still to attend to his injury, and her mother didn't want to leave Miles his side.

When Charlie had offered to join Monroe, Rachel had also didn't want Charlie to team up with Monroe. There had been a discussion, but without success from her mother's part. She was going. Charlie could use the space, and time away. End of discussion.

At least with Monroe, she got some room to breathe, to be herself. And Charlie knew this man was nothing she couldn't handle, already having spend so much time on the road with him.

Their first day on the road was a relatively quite one, for their standards. There were some discussions about where to go next, like always. A little insult about her tracking skills, like always. And some Monroe arrogance, followed by some deadly looks from her part, like always. When they were both running low on energy and in need of food and a drink, they one thing they agreed on fairly fast was that it was time to find a place to spend the night.

It had gotten dark almost completely, and the water had, to Charlie's regret, started to lose it's comforting warmth. She got out of the tub, using a little cloth to dry her skin. Her skin felt clean, and she couldn't remember the last time she had been able to wash her hair without feeling rushed. She reached into her bag and found a deep purple shirt, and clean black panties with a matching black bra.

When she walked back into the other room, She noticed Monroe was busy making a small fire in the old fireplace. Charlie threw her bag into a corner. She noticed he left his drink on the kitchen table. She reached for the drink, and enjoyed the little burn at the back of her throat when she took some sips.

'_Hey, that's mine,'_ He growled.

'_Don't be a selfish jerk Monroe, you enjoyed the rabbit I shot earlier just fine,' _ A hint of challenge in her eyes, when she took another sip from his drink.

Bass had ordered himself to find some wood outside to get a fire going, to get his mind of the woman on the other side off the wall. When she walked in, he couldn't help but notice the warm glow on her skin, a blush on her face, the purple top accentuating her curves.

He walked towards his glass, taking it out of her hands. Charlie was aware of the second their hands touched. He shot her one look before he walked back to the fire.

'_Enjoyed your bath?' _His voice was neutral, but his eyes were teasing her.

'_Although spending times with all you guys, day after day filled with all the sweat, ego and testosterone, _Charlie raised an eyebrow at Monroe, accentuating the sweat, ego and testosterone part,_ ' is freaking fabulous, I am still a woman, who likes a bath every now and then.'_

Charlie turned away from him and walked into the room to check out their sleeping arrangements for the night. She could feel how his eyes were following her. In the corner she found an actual bed. This night was getting better and better, Charlie noticed, a smile around her lips. The long day on the road and the soothing warmth of the bed made her head spin with exhaustion.

She sat on the side of the bed, getting rid of her boots. She made sure her knife was close to her, in case of patriot trouble. On their last road trip together she kept her knife close to her at night, in case of Monroe trouble. Well, things had changed.

She slipped into the soft bed, pulling the blankets close. She let her body settle into the mattress, listening to the soft sounds of the fire. Charlie watched how Monroe found his bed roll from his stuff, and threw it on the dirty and cold floor next to him, somewhere between the fire and the bed.

Charlie did not know if it was the alcohol in her system but before she realised it, she had started talking to him. She lifted herself up, resting on her elbows.

'_Seriously Monroe? After all those weeks on the road together, when we slept closer than this to each other, you chose the hard and cold floor over the comfort of a bed? More than enorugh room over here, I never thought of you of being such a prude.'_

Charlie could hear him sigh and felt a smirk forming around her lips. Her head touched her pillow again, her eyes heavy and almost closed.

With a shock she opened her eyes again when she heard the heavy sound of his boots, getting closer to the bed. There was a jolt to her complete system when he sat down at the other side of the bed. She heard his boots falling on the wooden floor and a shift in the bed when he laid down next to her, his back to her, still some room between them.

'_Goodnight Charlotte,'_ his voice mocking.

Damn, she had expected a lot of things, but not this. She was in a bed, in the same bed as Monroe. His body way too close. She forced herself to sound calm and collected when she answered him.

'_Sweet dreams, Monroe.' _

Bass noticed how she went for the _whatever Monroe_ tone , but Charlie was always very bad at hiding how she truly felt. Of course he had noticed the bed, and of course he would let her take it. F

First of all because he would never let a woman sleep on the floor, not a woman like Charlie.

And second because Miles would kill him off, whenever he found out he would even come near the same bed as Charlie was in.

That was until she started to challenge him.

He could feel how she moved her body, without any doubt, turning away from him. So, i_f this was how she wanted to play things?,_ he thought , then two could play that game, a smile forming around his lips.

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_Hey you guys, thanks for reading the first chapter and start of this story! Reviews and thoughts are always welcome! I am also working on 'Things Change' and 'Words of Betrayal', but I will write another chapter for this one very soon! _


	2. Chapter 2 Denial is a sweet thing

_**Hey everyone, thank you so much for all your appreciation and fun and sharp reviews for chapter 1! I am happy you liked it! :) Today, it is time for chapter 2!**_

_**Disclaimer: of course I do now own Revolution, just a daydream on what could have happened too.**_

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_**Denial is a sweet thing**_

Bass had looked at Charlie, the smooth lines of her body visible under the blanket. He looked at his bedroll on the floor, and wasn't particularly looking forward to another night on another floor. The days were there was whiskey and a bed waiting for him at the end of the day, felt like a life time ago.

Hell, right now he wouldn't even go near the bed at the other side of small room. Just because she apparently, for now at least, had stopped the attempts on his life and there was kind of weird bond forming between them, didn't mean there would be all hell and fury from this woman when he even took _one step_ in the direction of the bed.

He put some extra wood on the fire. When Bass had heard her smartass remark coming from Charlie, his first impulse was to ignore her. But there was something in her voice that made him reconsider.

And now he was laying next to her, the fire had died down_, _the drop in temperature in the room noticeable. He was still on top of the blanket, but there was no way in hell he would try to change that.

_Fuck_.

This had clearly not been one of his best ideas. He had slept close to her before, many times on the road back to Willoughby, but tonight was different. Hell, tonight he had to fight the image of her slender body in a steamy tub. Tonight he had felt his body react when she had sighed with content. Tonight she had to smell so damn good, the scent spicy and soft at the same time.

But damn it if he would give her the pleasure of backing down first and move. Followed by another thought about some other pleasurable things he would wanted to do to her badly.

_Double fuck._

Charlie had tried to throw the _sweet dreams_ in his face as casual as possible, but she knew that he knew she had failed. The smug son of a bitch was actually laying beside her, instead of alone on his bed roll. Far away from her at this point.

She had wanted to piss him off calling his bluff, but instead of achieving that, she was pissed at herself. If he even dared to move an inch closer to her, she would strangle him. She could storm out of the bed or throw him out with some cold words, but she knew that was exactly what he was hoping for.

The Matheson stubbornness kicked in, and she decided to stand her ground. And just ignore the hell out of him, ignore the fact that he was a stupid amount of close. After what felt like forever she was able to finally get some sleep. Her last thought that she was happy she at least made the right call to keep on her pants before sliding under the covers, although she missed the feeling of bare skin touching a fresh and clean bed, memories from a time long ago.

When Bass woke up, he realised that somehow they had both turned in their sleep. The fire was out, pale morning light was streaming in from the windows. The shapes of the furniture in the room were getting sharper and sharper.

He did not move, his eyes were drawn for a moment to the sleeping woman, only inches away. One of her shoulders stuck out from under the covers, exposing tanned golden skin. Her hair messy around her head, blonde curls falling over the pillow. His eyes then reached her lips, full and lush.

Damn it, it was time to move. He found his boots where he left them on the floor close to the bed the night before, grabbed his weapon and went to the kitchen to find some breakfast. He kicked the kitchen door open with his boots, and sat down on one of the steps of the porch.

Charlie woke up closer to Monroe then she had expected. She had lost the inner battle with herself of not wanting to turn around in her sleep and keep as close as possible to her side of the bed.

He was close enough for her to see every line of his face, her eyes shortly resting on the deep lines next to his eyes. Then she followed the lines of his strong jaw lines. When she felt him starting to wake up, she quickly closed her eyes, hoping she would get away with fake sleep.

It had worked, at least, she hoped it had. She heard him put on his boots and when he had walked outside, she was finally able to breathe normally again.

She stretched her whole body like a cat before she got up and told herself to snap out of whatever place her mind went to just now.

This was Monroe, he was a son of a bitch with an ego the size of Texas. They made quite a reasonably team when it came to their scouting expeditions or in a fight, she had to admit that, but that was it. She wouldn't allow any other kinds of thoughts anymore.

She found her leather jacket over one of the chairs in the kitchen, and grabbed some dry fruit out of her bag. Her water bottle was empty, so that meant going outside to fill it. When Charlie walked outside, she found Monroe sitting casually on the highest step, his boots on the ground, a little bit apart, one of his elbows resting on his knee. She noticed that the bastard took all the bread they had left with him.

Monroe shot a glare to her when she walked up to him, his eyes lighten up for a moment.

'_Care to share that breakfast?' _Her tone firm, meeting his gaze head on.

'_Well Charlotte, since you offered to share the bed, I see no reason why not?' _His voice deep, casual, but Charlie could see the smirk forming around his lips.

It earned him a deadly stare from her. He threw some of the bread in her direction. She caught it midair and noticed how hungry she was. Back to business she told herself firmly.

They had walked half a day, the sun high in the sky when they found a small stream, giving them the chance to refill their water canteens and take a much needed break. They had not been talking much.

Bass was leaning against a tree, when he watched her filling her canteen. When she put the canteen to her lips, she spilled some water, little drops of water flowing from her lips, following the line of her neck and disappearing somewhere just above the line of her tank top.

_He wondered how the hell it would feel to lick the water of her skin, trailing south from the line of her jaw to her neck. Bass wondered how it would be to put his lips on her tanned skin. He wondered how her sigh, coming from the bathroom the night before, would sound close to his ear. This time, he wanted to be the one to make her sigh, make her moan. His mind went to the curves of her hips, digging his fingers in the soft flesh, pulling her close. He could almost feel the warmth of her breasts. He could imagine how it would be to slip his hand under her top, one breast in his hand, her hard nipple under the roughness of his own skin. Images of pushing Charlie against the tree behind her, taking her, her warm breath in his neck, his name coming from her lips.. _

'_Monroe.' _

_Fuck. _He cursed under his own breath. Hardness pressing against his pants

He snapped out of his own thoughts, forcing himself to think about the many, many things Miles would do if he knew where the hell his mind had gone just now. It wasn't the first time he fantasised about her, but it was the first time he had thought about her with this intensity. It was the first time she had actually fucking stood before him when he had snapped out of his thoughts.

Charlie was still standing next to the stream, but now she was looking his way, her hands firmly planted on her hips.

'_So, are we ready to go, or do you need some more Monroe time ?' _

He grunted something to her, causing Charlie to roll her eyes at him. He grabbed his stuff and started to walk in her direction, his eyes firmly on the ground before him. Whatever the fuck Charlie would say or do, tonight he would chose his bedroll, or even just a cold floor, over any bed.

It was another warm summer day. They had just stumbled upon a small camp patriot camp and quickly gathered as much information as they could, from a distance, making sure they kept their cover.

When they were discussing what their next move would be, Charlie noticed little drops of sweat on Monroe's chest, right above the low v-neck of his shirt.

_Images of her hand on his chest were filling her mind fast. She wondered how his chest would feel, how all those muscles would feel against the skin of her hand. She wondered how he would taste, her lips against the skin, right at the base of his neck. Her mind took over when she thought about how it would feel to make a trail from his collarbone to his neck with her lip. How his scruff would feel against her skin when she pressed her lips against his. She thought about running her hands through his hair, how it would be to pulling his tall and battle hard body close. She tried to imagine the sensation of his hard chest against the curves of her breasts. How her nipples would harden against the fabric of her bra. _

'_Enjoying the view, Charlotte?' _

_Wait, what?_

Charlie felt how she froze , although her knees played a tricky game with her, when his voice brought her back to the reality of Monroe standing close to her, and her eyes still at the same level of his chest for a second. The images from just before still very sharp, she forced herself to look away from his chest. At the same time she tried to answer her own question of how long she had been staring at him.

'_Go to hell Monroe, you presumptuous asshole,' _she snapped in his direction.

She had to turn away from him to put as much distance between them, _fast._ Her cheeks dangerously warm.

Bass had taken his time, watching Charlie drift away. He let one of his hands rest on his sword, casually standing before her, without taking his eyes from her. Her deep blue's were glued to his chest, her lips had parted a little bit.

He had just wanted to screw with her head, but when she actually started to blush a bit, a thing much unlike Charlie, and turned away from him fast, he couldn't help but think she _had been _enjoying the view.

But then he reminded himself that this was Charlie.

Charlie who had marched to Vegas to kill his sorry ass.

Charlie, half his age.

Miles niece.

Charlie who was just tolerating him, on a good day.

What the hell was he thinking? Was this some kind of blue ball hell, not having been with a woman, any woman for way to long, screwing with his mind?

'_So, are we going to find some food or do you need a handwritten invitation?'_ She shouted in his direction, without even turning her head towards him.

Bass noticed the swing of her hips, the chains of her belt moving in synch with her steps, when Charlie walked away from him. He let out a sigh of frustration.

Well_, _at least _he_ was enjoying the view.

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_**Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked this chapter. Your thoughts and reviews are always welcome! Until the next chapter & Ciao!**_


	3. Chapter 3 A shared bottle

_**Hey everybody, you all made me smile when I read your reviews. I'm so glad you liked it! Let's not waste any time and go back to Charlie & Bass, right? :)**_

_**I do not own Revolution, this is just a daydream about what could have happened too!**_

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**_A shared bottle_**

The good news was that the next house for them to spend the night in was one they had already used before, and Charlie was pretty sure that Miles had hid some booze on one off the top shelves in the kitchen.

Of course Charlie never told him she helped herself to a drink, well technically it was his drink, every now and then. She always took just enough from the bottle to enjoy herself, but not enough to make it too obvious. It was way too much fun to watch Miles from a distance, the confused look on his face when he was trying to figure out if the bottle had not been fuller before. She liked to mess with his head a little this way, it was payback for all the times she had to listen to him calling her kid or even better, a moron.

The bad news was that she had to share the house, and probably the alcohol too, with Monroe. Since her mind had wondered to a place she never wanted or intended to go, _his chest, his scruff, his hands on her breasts, so yeah, that place, _ and more than once now, she hadn't talked to him anymore. What the hell was wrong with her? Was this some kind of hormonal thing that threw her of balance?

When she reached the house, sunset was almost there, the perfect time for hunting. She just nodded at Monroe. The old familiar feeling of their weeks previously spent on the road together, reminding her of their old rhythm. Sunset, hunting, food, and sleep, followed by another long day on the road.

Bass walked up the porch, the wooden floorboards squeaking under his boots. When he turned around he was just able to see Charlie disappear in the line of trees, crossbow strapped to her back.

He let go of a deep sigh. What the hell was it with this woman? She went from hot to cold, from challenging him until she went right back to pushing him away, again.

But there was something about this move closer and push away attitude of hers, that made him want to dig in deeper.

He had his share of woman, and hell it was time for some action. Charlie awoke something in him, a deep hunger that drove him crazy with frustration.

_Fuck_, he hoped Miles had left a good strong drink behind in this place, knowing his brother, there probably was some emergency stash.

When Charlie returned to the house, two rabbits dangling in her hand, she sat on the porch and got to work. Her stomach was growling with hunger, and she worked fast and efficiently.

They shared the modest dinner in silence on the porch. Charlie walked to a little creek, the last light of the day fading. She welcomed the coolness from the forest . She let the water flow over her face, neck and wrists, to cool her down after a long day.

When she walked back to the house, she could see Monroe had made a fire, a little glow coming through the window at the right side of the house. She stopped abruptly when she saw him. Her eyes glued to the silhouette of the man inside, his chest bare while he reached into his bag for a shirt. Her heartbeat picked up, and for a moment she let her eyes roam over the lines of his shoulders and back

_Get a grip, _she ordered herself before she walked up to porch and through the door.

Bass had watched her walk in and wondered if she was ever going to open her mouth tonight. He sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to start a nice deep conversation. If she wanted to keep the talking to a bare minimum, well, that's what she could get.

'_Going to get some more water,' _ he grunted in her direction, not even waiting for her reply.

_Whatever Monroe,_ she shrugged her shoulders, when her eye fell on the top shelve in the kitchen. It was a small kitchen, dust and grease everywhere, an old faded picture still on the fridge. She had to stand on the very top of her toes, but she was pretty sure she could see a bottle of the much needed booze that should het her through this night in this house with _him_. She stretched out completely, extending her arm as far as she could, but instead of getting her fingers around the bottle on the shelve, she pushed it further away_. _

'_Need some help, Charlotte?' _There was mocking and amusement in his tone.

'_Not from you, Monroe,' _she snapped back.

When Bass came back, he had walked in on Charlotte, standing on the top her toes, trying to reach for something that looked a hell of a lot like a good drink on one of the top shelves. His eyes fell on to the curves of her hips and ass.

The way she was standing right now, made her top sneak up a little, giving him excess to some smooth skin from her slender lower back. _Hell, she was a sight for sore eyes._

'_Interested in making a deal?' _

He watched how Charlie turned around slowly, irritation in her eyes.

' _I am pretty sure that's Miles emergency bottle.' _He pointed at the bottle above her head.

'_You can break your neck trying to get it, or accept some help.'_

'_The only condition to our little deal, is that you play nice and share the bottle.'_

Charlie looked at his smug face, and she wanted to slap him badly. The problem was, she wanted that drink even more badly.

'_Fine,'_ she grunted at him.

With a couple of big steps he was standing impossibly close to her. His eyes met hers, Charlie noticed the smug smile still plastered on his face. A hint of challenge in his eyes. Charlie decided she was not going to move one inch. She was not going to give the bastard that satisfaction. At the same time realisation hit her that there might be something else she wanted badly at this moment. Although wanting pretty soon changed into a deep craving.

Bass had expected her to move, or at least give him a cold warning with her eyes. But she didn't. So he took another step closer, towering a little bit above her, his chest almost touching her breasts, his eyes still on her when he reached above her to get the bottle. He could feel himself hardening at the closeness of her body, the curves of her breasts actually meeting his chest now. He could feel himself hardening at the way she didn't even flinch, her eyes never leaving his.

Charlie felt how his chest touched her breasts for a short moment, she was almost close enough to touch the skin of his neck with her lips. God, he smelt good. She had to fight the urge of wanting to grab his shirt and keep his chest in the place where it was now. She was still fighting that urge when he stepped away from her all of a sudden, a triumphant look in his eyes, holding the bottle right in front of her face.

'_Ladies first.' _

It was not lost on Charlie that there was an genuine smile on his face, a smile she hardly ever saw.

She yanked the bottle out of his hands, stepping away from him, and turning back to the kitchen cabinets. She had to open some of them, but behind the second door, she found what she needed. Two shot glasses. Time for the first round, time for some alcohol to keep her mental sanity.

After two shots, Charlie felt the warmth going through her body. She had discovered a book case in the living room. She let her fingers roam over the book titles.

In this high pressure world, a stack of books and time to look over them, became a luxury Charlie never experienced anymore since they were nonstop on the road.

Before, Aaron had surprised her on her sixteenth birthday with a travelling book ,many birthdays ago. It took her to Europe, Africa and Australia. In her mind she visited Rome, Melbourne and Paris. She had read about Italy, the lush mountains in Africa and enjoyed the pictures of sunsets all over the world. She had known the book by heart in no time.

To her delight she found an old faded book, an old travel guide about Venice. She put her glass on the wooden table not far away from the fire and took the book in her hands, flipping through the pages. Dust flew in air, pictures of the canals, palaces, the San Marco square and Italian pasta and espresso's filling the pages.

Bass walked from the kitchen back to the small living area, when he saw Charlie standing with a book in her hands, far away in her own thoughts. The light of the fire gave her skin a soft glow. He sat down on the worn couch, his third drink loosely in his right hand

'_So, Italy huh? Making travel plans?'_

Charlie tore her eyes away from the book in her hands, closed it and put it back in the bookcase.

'_Maybe,' _Earning her a quizzing look from Monroe.

She let out a small sigh, deciding not to go for the defence. She could always blame to booze when things would go to hell later.

'_Well, that's why I am such good friends with Aaron, you know,' _ a small smile appearing around her lips.

'_He used to own a helicopter and an airplane. Some houses in Europe, Asia and Australia. I know it's a long shot, but when the power comes back, I'm planning to take the helicopter to the plane, the plane to Europe and start in Rome with the road trip of the century. I'm sure Aaron knows all the good places over there.'_

She crashed down on the couch beside him, making sure there was still more than enough distance between them.

'_So, this road trip of yours, place for anyone else next to Stay puft?_

Calling Aaron Stay Puft earned him a quick punch to his ribs from Charlie.

'_Why Monroe? You can't wait to take on a new continent filled with woman? Running out of woman over here? I'm sure they are all waiting for that amazing Monroe experience. back in Europe' _She tried to snap at him, but there was something about him tonight, that made that impossible.

Bass slammed down another shot, he could not help but smile at her.

Charlie put her hands around the bottle in front of her, and filled her glass for the last time, realising she would sent herself to bed very soon. When Monroe reached out his hand and held out his glass in front of her, she rolled her eyes at him.

'_A deal is a deal Charlie,' _ his eyes filling with a hint of menace, when Charlie filled his glass one more time,

'_So, the Monroe experience? No wait, how did you call it, the amazing Monroe experience. Sure sounds like you give it some thought.'_

Charlie felt something stir deep down in her stomach. Yeah, she was definitely blaming the booze for what she was about to say. She got up from the couch, walked over to the stairs and looked him directly in his eyes.

'_Not much thought Monroe, __ but yes, some thought.'_

She saw his eyes get bigger, shooting her a look with disbelieve, Finally she felt in control again , in control of what the hell it was that was going on between her and Monroe. She shot him a quick smile, not waiting for his reply. When she reached the top of the stairs, she walked into one of the bedrooms and before she slammed the shut behind her , she shouted in the direction of the stairs

_'Goodnight Monroe.'_

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_**Thank you for reading, I will write another chapter very soon, I hope to publish it this week! Love to hear your thoughts! Until the next chapter...ciao!**_


	4. Chapter 4 Moonlight

_**Hey everyone, thank you so much for your kind reviews for my last chapter. Glad you all like the story so far. As promised: another chapter for you this week. Time for chapter four!**_

_**I do not own Revolution, just a daydream about what could have happened too :)**_

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_**Moonlight**_

So yeah, it had seen like a badass way to conclude the night, throwing that in Monroe's face. But when she let herself fall on the small bed in the dark bedroom, knowing he was still downstairs, it left her feeling frustrated. Frustrated and filled with deep want. She let out a deep sigh, getting rid of her boots, jeans, bra and tank top, reaching for a simple black t shirt from her bag. She slid down under the covers, a little tipsy from the booze, but still far away from getting any sleep.

She could picture Monroe downstairs, sitting on the worn couch and the way he had looked at her, drink casually in his hand, made her body react even more than it had already did when she was still sitting beside him.

She couldn't not fantasise of what it would be like to straddle him, her legs on either side of him, her core pressed to his pants, his eyes on her. It made her hand find its way to her panties. She could feel her own wetness through the soft fabric. She stroked herself, feeling the sensation of deep want pulsing through her clit.

Then she heard his boots downstairs. She yanked her hand away from her panties, holding her breath. She wanted some release badly, but there was something that held her back, made it impossible for her to let go. He was just too damn close. Too close and Sebastian Monroe. Frustrated she turned herself onto her left side. The alcohol in her system made her fall asleep eventually, but not for long.

When Charlie woke up, the first things she felt was the beginning of a headache. _Water._ She needed some, now. She put her feet on the wooden floor, slipped into her pants and grabbed the gun from the nightstand. She walked to the door and she opened it softly, listening to the sounds of the house.

There was silence, and there was only darkness when she looked down the stairs. With a sigh of relieve she walked down the stairs, glad Monroe had gone to bed too apparently. She walked down the last steps of the stairs before she headed back to the kitchen.

Bass had felt his body react to her last words, before she disappeared upstairs for the night_. _

_Not much thought, Monroe. But yes, some thought. _

He cursed under his own breath. He poured himself a drink, and then another one. Trying not to think about Charlie, upstairs, in a bed, alone. The fire started to die down but he didn't give a damn. After he finished the bottle he fell asleep on the couch, not even bothering with going upstairs.

He did not know how long he had been sleeping, but the sound of steps on the stairs woke him up. For a moment his eyes went to his weapon on the table next to him, but he realised the sound of the steps belonged to Charlie fast.

He got up slowly and followed her into the kitchen.

'_Trouble sleeping Charlotte?'_ His voice sounded hoarse with sleep, one hand going through his scruff.

He had to very fucking wrong, but _he'd be damned if she was wearing a bra under that shirt,_ his eyes quickly going to the curves of her breast under her shirt. _Holly hell._

Charlie just put the glass of cool water to her lips when she heard him. Her heart missed a beat, her instincts making her reach for the gun she had taken with her downstairs and left at the kitchen counter to fill her glass. She let out a sigh with relieve.

'_Jeez Monroe, you scared the hell out of me,' _ the relieve made way for a feeling of irritation. She turned around and watched how he walked into the kitchen casually.

All of a sudden her mind reminded her that her bra was still in her room, leaving her uncomfortable before him.

'_I apologize Charlie, I didn't mean to scare you,'_ His voice low, sending a shiver through her spine. She watched how he took one step closer to her, resting his hand on one of the kitchen chairs.

'_So, what the hell do you want, Monroe,' _She let her body rest against the kitchen counter, not sure if she wanted to know the answer. The hint of menace in his eyes told her to brace herself for a nice Monroe remark.

'_Well, I was thinking about those thoughts you talked about earlier ,you know, before disappearing upstairs.' _Amusement in his tone.

_Bingo. _Charlie noticed he turned on the Monroe charm in his voice. _Bastard._

He had closed the distance between them, leaving them both at the same place where they had started the evening, when Charlie tried to grab Miles' bottle.

Monroe touched her hair ever so lightly, tucking one lock of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers run over the sensitive skin of her neck before pulling his hand back.

Charlie bit her lip. She should slap his face, telling him to take a hike, far away from her.

But she surprised herself by letting him touch her.

But her body, her body screamed for him. His touch was light, but filled with enough determination to make her knees weak and her breathing faster.

She closed her eyes for a quick second. Fighting in her mind between the impossibility of this all, and the deep hunger for this man, this pull between them that had filled her with complete confusion for many weeks now.

'_Did that happen in one of your thoughts?' _ His deep voice whispering in her right ear. Charlie realised he had never been this close to her.

God, she hated him. But right now, she wanted him more. She felt a little bit dizzy, like everything else around her faded away. The darkness of the kitchen, only the pale moonlight coming through the kitchen window, made her feel like this was another world, a sheltered little corner of a world where she could let go, let her body speak.

And maybe, after giving in, she could let go of this insane hunger for him.

'_No,' _She looked up to meet his eyes. She felt how he tensed up and almost pulled away from her, his eyes filling with distance quickly.

'_But this did.'_

She touched the skin of his neck with her lips, tasting him. Tasting a hint of sweat, combined with something deep and spicy_. All Monroe_. It was intoxicating. When she found his eyes, filled with hunger and shock from her gesture, she couldn't help but lick her lips.

Bass eyes followed the small movement of her tong roaming over her lips, before he gave in to the impulse of crashing his mouth on hers.

The kiss started out slowly, nipping at her lips, giving her room to stop this at any moment.

_Although he really fucking wished she wouldn't_.

Charlie tilted her head back a little and Bass noticed she was standing on her toes to kiss him back.

'_Need some help, Charlie?' _

'_Shut up Monroe,'_ Bass could feel her smile against his lips.

He put his hands under her ass and lifted her away from the ground and onto to the kitchen counter. His hands went through her hair, resting at the back of her head. Her hands roamed over his chest.

Bass slowly slipped a hand under her shirt_. _

_Fuck. He had been right. No bra_.

It made his cock pulse under the fabric of his pants. He firmly cupped her right breast with one hand, a hard nipple between his finger. He deepened the kiss, a deep moan coming from her mouth making him even harder.

It took her a moment to realise that it was _her_ moan, finally releasing from a point deep within her. Charlie closed her eyes, curved her back towards him, pressing her breast further into the palm of his hand. The rough skin of his hand setting her skin on fire with pleasure.

She was done fighting. For now, she gave in, she gave in to him.

She needed more, the intense feel of wanting to feel his skin against hers. She slowly pulled his shirt over his head, a movement full with the promise of more, one of the most erotic things she had ever done.

Bass freed her breast, freed the smooth lines of her stomach when with one smooth movement, he pulled her shirt over her head. Her blonde hair flowing over her shoulders and breasts.

He took a moment to take her in. Charlie could feel his eyes on her breasts, her nipples hardening more under his deep look. The intensity made her almost forget to breathe, made her look away from him for just a short moment, because it was almost too much. Too much of him. She had been with other men, but with him, things were so completely different. It was a new sensation washing over her.

She felt his hand under her chin, gently turning her head back to him. A reassurance appearing in his eyes which made her pull back into him, letting go off all her boundaries.

Charlie put her hands on his bare chest, finally feeling his battle hard body under her hands, just like she had craved in her thoughts earlier today. She did not let go of his eyes, when she explored the lines of his muscles with her fingertips.

He had many scars, memories from fights and battles in the past, and she explored each and every one. She took her time and kissed them gently, while her hands touched the skin of his back. Charlie placed a hand on his left cheek, going through his scruff. For one moment she saw something in his eyes, that had never been there before.

Bass felt her hands all over his chest and his hard stomach, her mouth almost caressing every scar he ever deserved from walking away from a fight still alive. He could only look at her movements, and for a moment he never felt so damn close to her.

Her hands went back to his chest and this time they kept going south. When her hand found his hard dick, he couldn't hold back anymore, letting out a deep grunt himself.

'_Fuck, Charlie.'_ His tone was hoarse and deep, filled with raw want.

Charlie felt how her core started to pulse. She slowly started to rub over the fabric of his pants that separated his erection from her hand. Damn, he was hard. She felt something tighten in her with anticipation.

His hand made a perfect line from her neck to the waistband of her pants. He opened the button and let his hand disappear inside. His fingers gliding over the soft fabric of her panties, close to the sensitive skin underneath.

_Damn, she was wet._

'_For you,' _Charlie whispered in his ear.

She let out a loud moan when he found her clit, his fingers sliding through her wetness, applying the right amount of pressure. One hands was digging into his shoulder, looking for any kind of support. The other one was free to grab his ass. She started panting when he found a perfect rhythm.

Bass could feel her tense up, her head tilted back, her lips parted. It didn't take long before her moans became louder and deeper. Her grasp on her shoulders tightened even more, when he slid a finger into her. And another one. He felt how she pulled him closer, her head now resting on his chest. Her insides felt tight around his fingers.

_Fuck, he needed her. He needed her right now, right here_.

He pulled back his hand from her panties, leaving Charlie gasping for air when he suddenly left her.

While she started to work on his belt and pants, Bass appreciating her fast hands and determination. He sucked on a little bit of skin of her neck.

When his erection was finally freed from the almost painful friction against the fabric of his pants, Charlie took a moment to take _him_ in. His cock looked strong, and she couldn't resist putting her left hand over his hardness, stroking him, watching his reaction to her movements. She pressed her lips against his chest, and listened to another moan coming from deep within his chest.

He lifted her back on her feet, pulled down her pants in an almost excruciating slow pace, her panties not far behind while he pressed a wet kiss on her abdomen. He then placed her back on top of the kitchen counter. She spread her legs slowly, giving him a last teasing look before Bass leaned into her and put her legs around his waist, one by one.

He placed the tip of his hardness right in front of her entrance, his forehead resting against hers. With their eyes locked, he filled her completely with one deep thrust. He could feel her fingernails digging into his back, while she let out a deep scream of sheer lust. The moan shot right through his balls, making him starting to thrusts in her with a deep but slow pace. His hands around her hips, pulling her closer with every thrust.

When Charlie felt how her body closed around his hard length, she heard a deep groan coming from his throat. It made her even wetter.

They reached a point where neither of them knew where the other started and the other began.

Charlie loved the feel of his mouth on her skin, on her lips, his tong dominating the inside of her mouth.

_Bass bit on her soft and full lips. They way she was surrendering herself, to him, made him lose himself in her._

His dick, going for that perfect spot inside of her every time.

_Her tight wetness, wrapped around his dick._

His deep groan.

_Her perfect moans every time he thrust into her, picking up the pace._

His deep gaze.

_Her beautiful eyes._

And when Charlie felt how he started to rub her clit with his fingers, she had to close her eyes, she had to hold on to his body to have some sort of a lifeline. She couldn't stop the build up in her core anymore.

Bass felt it, he noticed how Charlie went to a place that made him want to come, while he drank in every bit of her, every bit of Charlotte the way she was right now.

He watched her come, her face _fucking stunning_ while she let out a deep moan, and he felt her inside spasm around his dick.

He kept thrusting into her, his hand digging into her soft hips, until he couldn't hold out anymore himself. With one last thrust, her legs still firmly wrapped around his waist, a feeling of instant regret when he had to pull out of her, he came all over the inside of her thigh, one last groan in her neck.

Charlie felt like every strength had left her body, feeling sated and lightheaded, her heartbeat in her ears, the only thing left to do was to let her head land onto his chest. Their body still close, both slick with sweat. A feeling of deep satisfaction coming over her when she slowly came back to the small kitchen.

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_**So, yeah...that happened! :) I felt like I teased enough. So, yes, I went there :) I hope you liked the chapter, and as always, feel free to share your thoughts. Thank you for reading and... until the next chapter! **_


	5. Chapter 5 His name on her lips

_**Hey everyone, how are you today? I wanted to thank you for your amazing reviews & feedback, thank you so much! They definitely help with my writing, so thank you again for taking the time to send me all your notes! :)**_

_**I do not own Revolution, just a daydream about what could have happened too.**_

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_**His name on her lips**_

The kitchen counter felt cold against her skin all of a sudden, leading to a small shiver going through her body. Charlie felt how his hands were slowly going over her back, and for one moment she savoured the feeling of his chest.

There were only nightly sounds outside, the moonlight giving the room still that pale glow. She could feel his heartbeat and for one moment she wasn't sure what to do next. She just came around Monroe. She had lost herself completely in the man she spend so much time hating.

But from the moment she woke up in that empty swimming pool, a war of words between them, there was something about his intensity that woke something in her. It started a battle in her head between hating him, pushing him away and somehow ending up in a fight or another road trip together. Not react to him was an impossibility from the start.

'_You are stunning, Charlotte,' _his voice hoarse, still a little bit out of breath.

'_You were not too bad yourself Monroe,'_ she grinned at him, finally locking eyes with him again.

Bass lifted her up, her legs still wrapped around his waist., one hand under her ass, one hand firmly on her lower back. He couldn't not look at her, he couldn't not notice the glow from her skin and her blushed face.

The feeling of her surrender, to whatever the hell just happened, had made him hard as a rock. He walked her over to the couch and with a play full move, he dropped her on the couch.

'_Don't move,'_ he grunted.

'_Not planning on going anywhere like this,'_ the sensual tone in her voice wasn't lost on Bass. Charlie stretched her body with content and shot him a soft smile.

Bass made sure the fire kept going again, giving the room a much needed touch of warmth. The cold from the night seeping through the walls of the small house.

He then grabbed a blanket from his bag and walked back to Charlie. She was leaning into the back of the couch, her eyes half closed. He never saw her like this, her guard down, relaxed. Tomorrow it would be all fighting and arguing again, no doubt. But for now, he intended to enjoy as much of her as he could.

Charlie felt a content laziness coming over her. When he sat down next to her, just like a couple of hours ago, he pulled her close to him, and wrapped her in the blanket. Bass felt the warmth of her skin radiating onto his. Her fingers went over the strong muscles from his thigh, her touch feather light. His hand was playing with her hair.

She moved her hands up slowly, laying still against his body. She was making him hard again.

'_Charlie?'_

'_Yes, Monroe?' _A casual kind of innocence in her voice.

Charlie let her hand touch his balls for the quickest of moments, to tease him even further.

'_Unless you want to go for round two, I seriously suggest you stop the hell what you are doing.'_

'_Well, I am up for it, I just guessed you might needed some time to recover, you know since you are..'_

Bass did not let her finish,, his lips close to her ear.

'_Remember, you asked for this Charlotte._' The low grunt of his voice send a raw shot of deep lust between her legs.

Charlie felt how her breathing got heavier, she felt how he turned his body, lifted her up a little, placing her with her back against his stomach and chest, right between his thighs. Her legs rested on the fabric from the couch.

Bass started to explore the soft skin of her neck with his mouth. Wet kisses made a trail from her jaw to her shoulder. He felt how she pushed her body against him, small moans coming from her mouth.

Charlie placed her hands on his thighs, her fingers digging in his skin. His hands cupped her breasts again, this time from behind. One hand stayed on her breast, the other moved on to her stomach. She could feel she was already getting wet, or maybe she was just still wet, her sensitive skin between her legs still swollen from their encounter in the kitchen.

Bass gently stroked the inside of her thighs before he started to make small circles around her clit. His eyes were resting on her breasts, her hard nipples and his hand between her legs. _She was hot as hell._

She tilted her hips to meet his touch. When she could feel his fingers sliding inside of her, the new sensation and angle made her almost come. She let go of his thighs and reached behind her, to close her hands around his neck. Charlie felt his hard cock against her back.

She closed her eyes, her mind going to the fantasy she had earlier. Straddling him, feeling him filling her, riding him.

She started to move slowly, turning away him. She got off the couch for one moment, his eyes filling with surprise.

'_Sit back,' _She spoke the worlds slowly.

Bass moved his body, so his feet were on the wooden floor, his impressive erection standing between his legs, waiting for her. Charlie took one step closer, settled between his legs and softly started to let her lips go over his thighs. She watched his eyes get bigger, while she teased him with more kisses.

She then straddled him, one leg on each side of his hard body, putting her arms around his neck. Her wet folds slowly rubbing over his cock, causing him to tilt his head back and close his eyes.

_Fuck, she was good at this. _

Bass turned his head back to her and grunted her name when she finally lowered herself onto his dick, and he could feel the warmth of her walls closing around him.

To hear him grunt her name like this, right here, right now, his dick buried inside of her, was almost too much for Charlie. She started to move faster, picking up the speed, taking him in deeper. Playing with her balance to find the perfect spot for his dick to touch inside of her.

Bass decided he wanted to feel her even closer, and had moved her on her back , the weight of his body pushing her into the couch. Charlie was surprised how good it felt to let go of the control, how he felt all over her.

He was thrusting into her intensely when all of a sudden he was slowing down, a devilish grin on his face, teasing her with every carefully timed thrust back into her. Her hands were wrapped around his shoulders, and one of her legs were locked around his waist.

What happened next, wasn't something Charlie had planned, or ever expected to happen. But feeling him close, their bodies locked, sweat, panting and the build up of another mind shattering orgasm made her take down that firmly build up wall she had placed between her and him. She wanted to come so badly, come when she locked eyes with him, feeling her orgasm through her whole body.

Charlie looked at him, trying to grab his ass to pull him in deeper.

'_I need to come,'_ she moaned, out of breath.

'_Bass, let me come.' _

For one short moment Bass eyes lit up, almost coming to a complete stop while he was still inside of her. Hearing his name, coming from her for the very first time, made him almost come without even moving. He stared into her blue's, filled with hunger and lust, her eyes unfocused.

He started to move inside of her again, and again. Each thrust deeper, faster until he could hear her scream his name again while she came under him.

Charlie's body begged for every thrust, and with one last deep thrust from Bass, she wasn't able to hold back. She came with an intensity that let everything else fade away, she came with the sound of his name coming from his lips on more time.

_Bass._

It was enough to push him over the edge too, spilling himself on her stomach.

He moved his body away from her, holding on to her so she moved with him. Charlie felt completely spend, her body curved against his. Forming words into sentences too difficult for her completely stated mind. Sated with him, sated with Bass. She could sense the deep scent of his skin, she could feel him wrapped around her, like he was everywhere. She felt how her eyes got heavier.

Bass heard her breathing even out. With his free hand he grabbed the blanket, covering both their bodies. He looked down at her, her hair resting on his chest, this fierce woman fighter in his arms, asleep.

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_**Thanks for reading, as always! Of course, a round two was in order, don't you agree? :) Feel free to share your thoughts, always love to hear from you guys! Until the next chapter...Ciao!**_


	6. Chapter 6 Rain and a fire

_**Hey everyone, it's time for chapter 6! Thank you for your kind reviews for this story :)**_

_**As always, I do not own Revolution. Just a daydream about what could have happened in season two too :)**_

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_**Rain and a fire**_

Charlie woke up with the weight of an arm around her, pale grey light breaking the darkness of the small living room. She could hear the faint sound of rain ticking against the smudged windows around her. The soft sounds woke her up, one raindrop crashing against the glass at the time. Part of her brain was still asleep and part of her brain wanted to stay asleep feeling strangely fulfilled, warm and deeply relaxed. The rain outside started to intensify.

She started to sense more than the weight of an arm covering her. Her lips were close to a chest. Her legs were entangled with other legs. Charlie stayed one more second in the land, the perfect blissful land of moments between waking up and still asleep, before she realized those legs were _his_. Before she realised that the chest she had been falling asleep on belonged to _him._ And that the arm around wrapped around her was _Monroe's_.

Sharp flashes of his hands and eyes roaming over her body made her heart beat faster, like little shock through her system. She had not wanted to fall asleep afterwards, but somehow she had ended up asleep, asleep wrapped around him.

Slowly Charlie started to move, freeing herself from his arm. She turned away from his body, sitting up next to him on the edge of the couch, putting her feet on the wooden floor. She shivered. In the morning light, the room around her felt so much different than the night before.

Bass felt her movements immediately. He caught some sleep himself, but he never allowed himself a deep kind of sleep, a luxury that belonged to another life. It had been forever since he had fallen asleep with the warmth of a woman next to him. He wasn't surprised that Charlie had turned away from him, the moment she woke up.

Last night had been hot as hell, something that had been in the air for quite some time if he had been totally honest. And if she had not been Charlie Matheson, if this wasn't the stubborn woman, all hell and fury,

_and Miles nice for that matter, fuck don't go there right now_,

that had tried to end his sorry ass on multiple occasions, he would have pushed her against a three and devoured her right there a long time ago.

But he had no illusions that there would be another night, another night with her. Not after all the mess from the past. He could feel how she put distance between them already, her body still close, but he could sense the shift in her. Charlie Matheson was good at a lot of things, but hiding how she truly felt was never one of her strengths.

When she was about to get up, Bass lifted himself up, resting on one elbow, and placed a hand between her shoulder blades. After a couple of seconds she turned his way, meeting his eyes.

Charlie pulled the sheet closer around her body. To his surprise Bass felt how Charlie leaned into his touch a little. He shifted his hand to her neck, playing with her hair, and shifted her hair back over one of her shoulders before he pressed his lips on her bare shoulder.

Charlie was close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body, allowing herself a couple more seconds with him, before she told herself to get up. Told herself to walk away, to get dressed and face another day on the road.

She didn't look back when she finally walked away. And when she got dressed, strapped her belt with her knife around her waist, she knew for sure. This night, his lips, his touch, his hard body, him filling her, the room filled with them, with their moans and grunts. All of that, Charlie would let this stay behind, in this house. Last night he had been Bass, last night was a sensual dance together, in an isolated house, a dark room far away from everything. Far away from their past, far away from her family. _This could not happen again. Ever._

When Charlie walked downstairs, the night had faded away. The little house felt different. Bass was gathering his stuff and Charlie walked straight to their supplies to get some food. When Bass had watched her walking down the stairs, fully dressed, chains rattling around her hips with every step, he knew they would go back to whatever they had been before last night. The look in her eyes told him enough.

At the end of the day they would join the rest of the group at the safe house, concluding their days on the road. As much as he should, he didn't regret anything. He couldn't bring himself to feel that. Not when it came to her.

When Charlie put on her jacket, she heard how the rain started to poor down. She had felt the shift in the weather yesterday, she had seen it in the sky, she had felt it in the way the direction of the wind changed. She had seen enough storms rolling her way to know. She walked outside the porch when the first sound of thunder rolled through the sky. The wind blew locks of hair in her face and the normally so clear morning sky was dark grey.

_Seriously? _She thought bitterly. Days of warm weather, and when she really wanted to get back on the road, all hell was breaking lose.

Bass had walked outside and stood not far behind Charlie. He had watched the sky and then turned to Charlotte. The little frown between her eyes and the irritation in her eyes told him enough. He knew what she was thinking. He was barely able to hold back a small smile. He couldn't say he mind spending some more time with her.

He got some dry wood from the porch and was almost inside when he turned towards her.

'_Well Charlotte, it looks like you are stuck with me a little while longer.' _ His voice low and mocking, nodding at the even darker clouds that were heading their way.

When he turned away from her he could see how she tensed her back and crossed her arms before her chest, letting out an irritating sigh.

He cleaned all his weapons, Charlie cleaned all of hers. Bass sat down in front of the fire inside in silence, she sat on the porch, her back against the wall. She had found a little spot out of the wind, but she was still freezing her ass off. She could go inside, but that meant, going inside where he was.

When the lightning and thunder really exploded all around her, she knew she had no more choice. She walked inside, shutting the door behind her, locking the storm out. She started going through the kitchen cabinets without true aim. She found some tea that did not look to bad. The fire in the living room meant she could at least het up some water and have something warm to drink.

She was not sure what to do next when her eyes fell back on the bookcase in the corner of the room.

She curled up in the left corner of the couch, the travelling book she found yesterday, open and resting on her knees, the mug of tea between her hands. For the next hour she disappeared in the little streets of Venice, she disappeared into the colours and history of the city. She let herself disappear in a world that once was.

When she turned a page her eyes fell on Bass who was still sitting in front of the fire, lost in his own thoughts. She had seen him like this so many times, she lost count. He could do this, literally for hours.

'_Did you travel? You know, before?' _The sound of her voice broke through the sounds of the rain and the fire in the room.

Bass looked like he needed some time to realise she actually asked him a question. He noticed her tone was calm. He looked up to her. He nodded his head.

'_I've been in Iraq, two tours.'_

'_With Miles.' _Her answer wasn't a question. Another nod from him.

Bass lifted himself up from the floor and walked over to her, crashing on the unoccupied side of the couch. When he saw her eyes went back to the pages, he realised that the book in Charlie's hands, was a symbol for a life she never would know. He did not know why, but it was like a cold punch in the stomach.

He cleared his throat before he spoke again.

'_So, tell me. I know Italy is on your travel list with Stay Puft. Some more plans?' _

Charlie took another sip from her tea. His eyes went over the deep red from her lips, when they wrapped around the edge of the mug. There was another roll of deep thunder outside, rain still streaming down from the windows.

Bass watched her stare at him for a minute, like she wasn't sure she was going to answer his question before she started to talk again.

'_Scandinavia, Scotland , Morocco, Africa, New Zealand..._' There was a small absent smile on her lips when she met his eyes. _'Not necessarily in that order.' _

She watched how Bass looked at the fire again, the deep lines next to his eyes curling when he smiled. God, he was a completely different man when he smiled. It was hard not to look at him righ him.

She forced herself to put her eyes back on the pages before her, and looked directly at a picture of a couple smiling happily, the water of the small canal behind them deep blue and sparkling from the sun.

And just like that, she felt greyness creeping over her. It started from a little corner in her mind before it was washing all over her. It was the old too familiar feeling of knowing that this world, this world in this small travel book was lost for good. It was a world that only existed in the stories from her father, in the stories from Aaron, in the marks that were around her every day, in references from the people around her that she never understood. A world that existed in her mind, only a handful of memories from long ago. She would never travel, she would never see more of the world. Followed by that voice in the back of her mind. _Because of the actions of her mother. Lost because of her father. Her family. _

Bass heard her sharp intake of breath beside him. He watched how Charlie jaws locked all of a sudden, how her eyes lost their clearness fast. She shook her head, her voice fragile when she spoke.

'_It doesn't matter, not anymore.' _

She closed the book, her eyes focussed on the fire. Pushing away the train of thought that was there, over and over again, the more she was understanding what actually happened, more pieces of the puzzle falling together the last year.

Bass felt the coldness spread through his chest. It was like the time that son of a bounty hunter had touched her. From that moment he just could not stand to see her hurt. It was irrational, he knew.

Charlie could feel how his arm closed the distance between them. His arm rested on the back of the couch behind her, but his hand closed around the back of her head lightly. He didn't move, he did not say anything.

Charlie felt tears filling her eyes, but she fought them back. She was not going to cry in front of him, she was not going to cry over something that could never be changed. But she did not pull away from his touch either.

_**A couple of days later**_

Charlie watched Bass, Miles and her mother disappear on the horizon. Three small figures on horses. Her grandfather and Aaron were standing behind her. When they had disappeared from her sight, she walked back into their safe house.

The days and especially the night she had shared with Bass in that small house already felt like years ago. And still, if she closed her eyes when she was alone for a moment, she could feel his touch, his lips on her skin and see the little lines wrinkle next to his eyes when he had smiled at her.

The rainstorm had died down in the afternoon, giving them the hours they needed on the road to get back to the rest of the group. They had not spoken much and when their safe house was close, they hadput more distance between them, without truly giving it much thought. It was one of those moments where Charlie did something before she truly thought it. She grabbed him by his shirt, a surprised look in his eyes, stepped on her toes and pressed a long deep kiss on his lips. He simply but his hand on her lower back and pulled her closer before she broke the kiss, before they walked back into their normal routines.

Charlie knew his mind was elsewhere, from the moment they walked back into the safe house. And she did not blame him.

Charlie had found out he had a son the day they went to look for Aaron in the school. She had heard her uncle bickering with Bass since then, and she had decided to stay out of that discussion although she had many questions. A son. He had a son. Her mother told her they would be gone for at least a week, leaving their safe house strangely empty.

The practical side in her forced herself to get busy, to focus on her grandfather and Aaron. When she grabbed her bag to get another shirt out she felt something hard pressing in the palm of her hands. She reached deeper and when her hands touched something familiar she felt a warmness flooding through her body.

_He didn't. Right?  
_

With one fast movement and a smile quickly forming around her lips she pulled the book out of her bag. She held in in her hands and looked directly at the cover of the Italian travel book.

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_**Thank you for reading everybody, I hope you liked this chapter! Love to hear from you, when you have a moment. Until the next chapter...ciao!**_


	7. Chapter 7 Found

_**Hey everyone, thank you so much for all your appreciation for this story. I adore your reviews and feedback, thank you! Today it's time for chapter 7!**_

_**I do not own Revolution...yes, you all know by now...just a daydream.. :)**_

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When Bass had left to find his son, she still needed time to adjust and get used to this new idea, it was like the energy around her had changed. Charlie didn't know how that happened, so fast, or why, but when she had seen him leave, without her, but with Miles and her mother, there was a part in her that wished she was with him out there on the road.

So, right now, it was just her, her grandfather and Aaron at their safe house. But when it was just her and her thoughts in the dark at night, as she laid down on a simple bed in a corner of one of the rooms with a grey bedspread wrapped around her middle, her mind drifted back to him.

_His eyes piercing into hers, like he was drinking her in. His large hands on her breasts, over her nipples, his deep grunting, the intensity of her orgasm around his hardness. Her mouth exploring his skin, tasting him, his sweat, his spiciness that was so Bass. The way she had not been able to hold back, wanting to moan his name over and over, when his hand had disappeared between her legs. Her back resting on his hard chest. The way she had only wanted for him to thrust him deeper into her. The way Bass had looked at her when she eventually had let go and had moaned his name for the very first time. The way it had been only Bass and her._

The moment the flashes of memories washed over her, she could feel her body react. Wetness was pooling in her core, the aching feeling of wanting to touch herself sneaked up on her and cornered her.

It made her want to curse his name, for filling her thoughts, for waking up more want for him. It made her want to curse her body, for reacting so easy to the mere thought of him.

_No_.

She had hoped their passionate encounters in the kitchen and on the couch had stilled her hunger, a hunger she knew that had been there for a long time now, although she always had trouble admitting to it, but she never had thought it to be this strong. What the hell was wrong with her? There should have been hate and only hate for this man, loathing. But not this.

And then her mind went back to the travel book that she kept hidden back in her bag, deep under her clothing and other personal things. When she had heard Aaron walk in behind her, she had quickly let the book slide in her back. This was for her eyes only. This man had surprised her over and over again. His roughness, arrogance and ego could be beyond infuriating, but then he let her see something else when she least expected it, something else that reached her and grabbed her without any chance to shake it off.

It had been that part of him, she rarely saw, that made her want to save his life, together with owing him for savings hers once, when he almost died because of the lethal injection. She could not explain it to anyone. No one asked, not even Miles.

Closer to falling asleep, she was back on the ragged couch in front of the fire, Bass sitting next to her on the couch on that rainy afternoon. Rain outside, greyness around the little house. When she remembered how it was like to feel his hand gentle and steady cupped around the back of her head, at a moment greyness was not only outside but also creeping over and in her, she could feel her body relax, and she was asleep before she could continue the continuing battle in her mind. The battle between wanting and fight the man away from her she wanted so badly.

When she would wake up after a surprisingly deep night of sleep , she would find Aaron missing from their safe house, leaving behind just a little note on the small wooden table.

_**Somewhere in Mexico, a couple of days later**_

'_Must be like looking into a mirror.' _

It was Rachel's voice, an eerie way of soft but with a ice cold tone in her voice that dragged him away from his thoughts.

When Bass had met Connor, standing in the bar in front of him, it took him a moment to realise he was actually standing in front of his son. He had imagined what it would be like, and at the moment he did not expected it, their search for the kid without any success so far, his son had walked into the bar, and into his life. Changing things for good.

A grown but still young man had stood before him. Tall, dark curls, strong jaw lines, eyes that immediately reminded him of Emma with. Eyes he once knew , and still did, so well, familiar and heart wrenching at the same time. When he had looked into his face, he had seen her, he had seen himself back in his son's features, he had heard himself in his voice, he had seen himself in the way the kid had walked into the room like this cockfighting ring of hell was his kingdom.

Connor had made it very clear he was not waiting for his dad to walk back into his life. And when one of his West side story pals had come to get him, murmuring something in Spanish Bass did not understand, Bass had not followed him when Connor had walked away from him, not sure what the hell he could do, what he could give to his son. Miles had shoved him out of the bar, and they had left the little town behind them.

The day had come to an end, and Bass was sitting on a rock, elbows resting on his knees, lost in his own thoughts and staring into the flames of the fire in front of him. The clear dark night sky filled with starts above them. Miles sat at the other side of the fire on a wooden log, Rachel on the ground next to Miles.

He went over and over the conversation with his son, playing the scene over and over in his head. Feeling the sheer panic and hurt again when Connor had asked him about his mom.

_The sound of the helicopter when taking off drumming in his ears, Emma motionless on the cold ground. His man had dragged him away from her, when he had fought them off with everything he had trough his horror and tears. She had collapsed into his arms, a single bullet flying into her and ending her life, he had felt life slipping away from her. Another thing that spread more darkness in him. Another thing on the list of things he would never be forgiven for._

_When his home town disappeared from under him, the helicopter putting distance between him and the woman he once loved, the woman he kissed one more time before telling her the man she knew once was dead, there were only choking tears and rage left. And the knowledge he had a kid, somewhere out there, as a new lifeline to grab onto._

He had told Connor she was dead, his mouth dry and his gut contracting with nausea. He had to look away when Connor looked at him absolute shock. He had not told her he was responsible for her death.

Rachel had paused for a moment, staring at him with a look in her wide eyes, that was a deadly combination of a cold challenging hint of a dark smile and coldness.

'_There is nothing that Miles could have done. He could have watched him Connor, or not watched him. Put him on mars, put him in a monastery. It doesn't matter who raised him. Connor was always going to turn out like this. Because he's your son, he's your blood.'_

Rachel sat with her back towards Miles, close to him, her eyes and her words were like the stabs of a knife into his gut, over and over again. Bass swallowed hard, hurt and rage crashing together. He was not able to move, although he wanted to shut her up with all he had.

But then he reached the point where he had found himself so many times since he came back to Willoughby with Charlie. Rachel had him right where she had wanted him, with her hypocritical angelic face, lashing out at him, knowing damn well if he crossed a line with her, she might tell Miles about the one thing they never spoke about. So he took a sharp breath of air instead and swallowed the quickly building rage within him away.

_So, by that logic, Charlie will end the world someday,' _ Bass stabbed back at her.

_Fuck_, he had wanted to stab Rachel back, but there was a hint of regret deep inside already, for mentioning her at this point.

'_That's enough, from the both of you.' _

It was Miles that intervened with a low but firm tone in his voice.

'_Being a normal type of father, that was never in the cards for you. Why don't you leave it alone? You are only making things worse.' _

But there was no way in hell Bass could do that. He had waited for this moment for so long now ,waited to finally meet his blood, his son, his family. He had to go back. He had to try. He waited for Miles and Rachel to fall asleep before he went back into town and found Connor sitting at a small table.

He did not know what to give his son, other than a promise of a republic he had lost not so long ago, so when he was surrounded by Connor's men, Connor dragging him back to meet the sorry son of a bitch excuse father figure Nunez, he let him.

A punch in his stomach when he watched how Nunez treated Connor like he was his own. Realising with a sharp sting of raw pain many years were lost, so many years he would never get back with his son. Another punch when he heard his son talking about how they were going to sell him to the highest bidder, Connor's eyes burning into his.

When Connor put him in a cold and filthy cell, he let him.

When Miles came to get him the hell out, he let Connor be the hero, damn well knowing Nunez would take it out on the kid if he escaped with Miles. So, he let Miles go, walked back into his cell, and let Connor be the one who put him back there.

When they hanged him, his hands cuffed above his body, in front of a cheering crowd, his own son whipping his back open, the whip crashing against the flash of his back, leaving deep cuts until he almost passed out from the unbearable pain, he let him.

He had nothing else to give, so he let him.

* * *

The cuts on his back had been healing slowly, although their scars would forever remind him of finding his son. This time if were the four of them, his son not walking far in front of him, when they crossed the border. He had hardly spoken to Rachel and Miles, focussed on his son instead. Their first days were rocky, talking about the republic, about taking it all back, for him. Part of him wanted to do nothing more than that, part of him wasn't sure if he had promised too much. But it was all he had to offer.

It had been Connor that got them out eventually. Bass was not sure what changed his son's mind, he had not had the balls to ask him. Rachel had been able to find her way into the Nunez estate, and Connor ended up slipping her a key. When they had run into Nunez holding a knife against his kid's throat when they had tried to find a way out, he felt a cold panic and dread, knowing this psycho was able to slit his son's throat like it was nothing. But he had watched Connor fight, fight as hell, feeling pride swell up in his chest when he watched his cutting through the man around them. They had made it out.

When they almost reached the safe house, sweat on his forehead, dust on his boots, Bass was struck by the image of blonde waves falling around a stunning face with clear blue's in a dark kitchen, while he had been thrusting deep inside of her. She had been there in the back of his mind during the long hours on the road, her smart ass remarks echoing through his mind, pulled towards her by the way she never backed the hell down, threw things right in his face the way the were, always meeting him head on with an infuriating stubbornness.

He was not sure where the hell they stood, he tried to keep that raw and intense want for her back in that house, in that kitchen, in front of that fire, telling him it would never happen again, it _could _never happen again.

Slipping the book into her bag was an impulse, an impulse he did not regret however. Although he was not sure how Charlie felt about it. The way her eyes had burned with a clear brightness , her whole face changing in front of him when she talked about her travel plans, about what she had wanted for herself one day, he had wanted more of that for her. So he tried to leave a piece of that day, the day he sat beside her on a worn couch, everything outside the four walls of that house far away, behind with her.

The safe house was empty, he heard Miles saying they had cleared out. They scouted the area, looking for tracks to find her, the old man and Stay Puft. To be honest, he couldn't care less about those two men, he just wanted to know where Charlie was.

When he saw her face again, it was from a far. They were laying hidden low in tall grass, after they had stumbled upon what looked like another patriot camp. First they saw Gene, and Bass could not hold in a biting remark towards Rachel.

'_We are gone a week and your father already switched sides again, Rachel?' _

This time she had nothing to say to him, while she looked absolutely stunned.

Miles was still looking through his binoculars, when Bass heard a small sigh coming from his brother.

'_Look.'_

Bass watched how Miles gave Rachel the binoculars.

'_Charlie,'_ it was a worried whisper with disbelieve coming from Rachel.

Bass had to turn his head, worry finding him fast. _Damn, this woman just had to lean into danger every damn chance she got._ He saw her too, he would recognize her everywhere. She looked tired, surrounded by those kaki sons of bitches. _Fuck._

* * *

_**Hey everyone, thanks for reading! This chapter was one where Charlie and Bass were separated. I wanted to explore more of Bass' emotions when he found Connor. Of course, we all want them together, like ASAP, and all the time, but sometimes the story sends them out on different roads, like in this chapter. But all for the Charloe good :) In the next chapter they will be meeting again! :) Until the next chapter...ciao! Love from Love**_


	8. Chapter 8 Leather jackets and whiskey

_**Hey everyone, today I have chapter 7 for you guys! Thank you for your amazing reviews: I still so very much adore to read them. Because at the end of the day: I write for you, it makes me smile :) If there is something you would like to see happen in this story, always feel free to share those thoughts! **_

_**Did you all read on twitter that Kripke is still trying to find a way to resolve the story for the fans? So it is not over yet! Stay strong! :)**_

_**I do not own Revolution, just a daydream about what could have happened too :)**_

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_** The scent of leather jackets and whiskey**_

The first time Charlie heard Bass again, was when she heard his voice somewhere at the edge of her dream. Although she was not sure if he was really there or just in her dream. She was simply too exhausted to try and answer her own question before she dozed off again into a sleep filled with chaotic dreams. Her body felt numb, but her mind kept racing at full speed with images from the last couple of days, when she found herself constantly between being awake and asleep, to tired too feel the difference. She was not able to stop the storm of thoughts that washed over her.

_She kept trying to track Aaron after he had packed his stuff and just left without even telling her. In her dream she found herself over and over again at the same spot near the small creek, looking for any tracks that could help her discover where he went. But Aaron knew her too well, so she had to give up eventually._

_The Patriot quarantine camp she had discovered with her grandfather a day later. Feeling deep down that it would only mean trouble. _

_The Patriot quarantine camp, where she ended up taking care of the sick, while she had tried to get her grandfather the hell out. She had told him not to go after it, but she knew he was not able to stay away. Death so very close, flashes of the utterly sick people she knew from town, having to face Truman and the rest. More death. Exhaustion, headaches. Kaki surrounding her with no way out._

_Seeing her mother sneaking into camp, like a surreal moment when she stood before her, realising that Miles and Bass would be near too. _

_Bass. Hint of clear blue's before they faded away and turned into images of more people dying around her, faster than they were able to help. Bodies, white sheets covering them. She felt how everything slipped through their fingers. A Lab made virus, kaki monsters that were trying to wipe their town and it's people from the face of the planet._

_Dizziness, her body aching, watching how her grandfather collapsed, trying to restart his heart and breathing with her mother. Fear taking a firm hold of her of death taking one more person she loved. Truman with his scary smile plastered to its face haunting her, like he was everywhere at the same time._

_It was the first time she had fainted. But she got back up, weak on her legs but not willing to give up._

_Somebody who ran in the tent with the antidote, but beyond exhaustion at that point to truly notice him. Only realising there was a strange kind of recognition when she had watched the guy's face. _

_The camp had started to spin at that point, the last things she remembered before everything turned dark was the sound of a wagon rolling under her, her mother's worried voice near her, calling her name._

Charlie could still hear her voice echoing through her mind when she felt a familiar comforting hand on her arm. Her name was reaching her again, but this time it was the voice of a man, finally helping her break a way out of the claustrophobic dream.

The dream still lingered around her, but she knew that hand, she knew that voice. It felt safe. _Miles. _ She realised she was not on the wagon anymore, and the darkness had been replaced by golden day light around her. She had trouble focussing, and watched little particles of dust floating in the room through the rays of sun coming from the small window behind her.

The first time Charlie saw Bass again, was when he stood behind Miles. He was casually leaning against the doorway, one hand on the hilt of his sword, halfway turned to her. It had only been a second, but when they locked eyes, his deep gaze on her, she felt something swirl inside.

And then Miles came into focus.

'_Hey kid, you gave us one hell of a scare.'_

He looked at her with his dark eyes.

'_Grandpa?'_ Her voice was raspy. Her mouth dry.

'_The idiot will be fine, don't you worry about him.'_ Miles helped her sit up and gave her some water to drink while he gave her a quick wink. '_You worry about yourself now, Charlie.'_

When Charlie turned her eyes back to the doorway, she found the place where Bass just stood empty. She wished it hadn't.

_**One day earlier**_

'_So, you want us to raid their bunker to pick up some meds that might not even be there? I have seen the plague sweep through in Mexico. I get it all right. I've seen it front the first row. And I'm not about to walk back into that because some whack job blonde tells me to.' _Connor's eyes and voice were all fire.

Bass watched his son. This kid had one hell of temper, something he recognised too damn well. They had made their way back from the camp to the safe house. Rachel had found a way into the quarantine hell and had reached Gene and Charlie.

Stone cold worry went through Bass when Miles went through the note that Rachel had been able to get to them. Typhus, lab made typhus, designed to wipe out the whole god damn town. The old man sick as hell. But what really set Bass into a deep rage was the end of the note, seeing the worry on his brothers face when they found out Charlie had collapsed.

'_Okey, Connor..'_ Bass watched Miles for a moment, before he focussed back on his son, and he really tried to get through to his kid.

'_Sorry, it's not my problem.'_ Bass watched Connor's tantrum, and was busy losing his patience with the kid. There was no time for this, he wanted to get on the road as fucking fast as they could.

'_I need a word with you, alone.' _His voice was deep and filled with warning. He watched Connor stand his ground, challenge in his eyes.

'_It's not a question.' _ He growled at him.

He walked with Connor into the other room, closing the room and leaving Miles at the other side of it.

'_Look kid, we all got our sad stories, but you need to burry those deep and play ball.' _Connor had his back turned to him. Bass had lowered his voice.

'_And why is that?' More _Fire in his dark eyes, fire and a sharp edge when he turned back towards Bass.

'_I get it all right, I am with you. Rachel is a boatload of crazy,' _Bass had to admit, his kid had great instincts about that bitch.

'_But for some reason, Miles really loves her, and him we need to keep on our side. We need his help through all of this to get what we want, what you want.'_

He finally saw he reached his son. Connor nodded at him.

In the end, his kid _had_ trailed along. When they had discovered the bad cave where those kaki assholes apparently hid the antidotes , and found it empty, they had to go for plan B.

Meaning they snatched that Truman asshole who had sat on the front row when he was fake executed, from his little camp and have a little chat with him. The look on the son of a bitch' face when he realised he was still alive, was priceless.

The moment when Miles shoved some freshly squeezed Typhus in Truman's neck and hear him cry like a little girl, to help motivate him to corporate, was even fucking better.

Connor had walked Truman into his office with a gun nicely plastered to his head, and their plan had worked, although it had been a close call when Truman's bunch of kaki friends had discovered him. They had gotten out of town, with the needed antidote.

Charlie was never far from his thought and _fuck_ he hoped they were on time. If those sons of bitches had dared to give her typhus, and something_, anything_ would happen to her, he would tear the whole damn place apart with his bare hands.

When the hell of a day had been over, he watched Connor ride through the gate of the camp with the wagon from a distance with Miles.

Two bodies in the back were covered under white sheets that made his stomach fill with nausea for a moment. He hopped with Miles on the wagon at their rendezvous point.

When they were out of the woods, Rachel quickly pulled the sheets away. Bass' eyes were only fixed on Charlie. She looked pale, her eyes closed, but when he checked her chest quickly, he realised she was still breathing.

He knew he had no fucking business uttering his concern for the girl, so he tried to keep his eyes locked at a point in the distance during the whole ride back. But when Miles gently carried her out the wagon inside in his arms, he could not help to wish it had been him.

He hovered more around the room where Miles put her on a bed more than he should, he watched her sleep, watched her toss and turn, sweat on her skin, sweat on her forehead and blushed cheeks. It was one exercise in self-control of not throwing his arms around her. Relieve filling his whole chest when he heard from Miles she had not been infected, that it had been sheer exhaustion that made her collapse and that she would be fine.

He watched Miles sitting in front of his niece and his brother never said it, but man, he knew how much he cared about her.

He asked Miles something about their weapons, not that he really cared about that stuff right now, it was just an excuse to see her. And a rather pathetic one, he knew. He watched Charlie in the middle of a dream and Miles was gently trying to get her out of it. He leaned in the doorway to stall some time, to make sure she would be okay.

And when her eyes found him , when she was awake for a moment, he realised that nothing had changed. The pull between them was still there. When he heard Rachel walk in behind him, he had to tear himself away from her. He ignored her loathing looks. He didn't give a fuck right now. Charlie would be fine.

* * *

Charlie decided she was done with being in bed, she was done with sleeping, she was done with being inside and being smothered by her mother next to her bed.

She wanted to feel some fresh air on her face again. Her body still felt off just a little, but she knew there was no better thing to do for herself than get up and get her day started.

She took her weapons and walked outside, the sunlight kissing her skin, taking in a deep breath. Back to work, she ordered herself. She found a spot under a big tree, and started to clean the weapons she brought with her when she saw Connor out of the corner of her eyes.

He walked towards her and asked about her grandfather. When she turned around to grab a little cloth that had been drying at one of the branches she could feel his eyes on her ass. She decided to ignore the hell out of him and was actually amused when he started his cocky hero story about how intense it had been retrieving the antidotes from Truman's office. That he had guns pointed at him.

_That's a normal Wednesday for us, hero boy._

She shook her head, gave him a pat on his shoulders before she moved on with her day. She could feel his stare when she walked away from him.

* * *

She had wanted to get some fresh air when the sun had set for the day, and a fresh but clear night had taken its place. Her grandfather was asleep, Connor was doing something somewhere and her mother and Miles were, well, very busy with not looking at other. Time for her to go.

Time alone was spare and every now and then she needed it. But something, or rather someone, made her change her mind. _Blue eyes, leather jacket, rough scruff_. She had seen him walk in the direction of the old shed that belonged to the abandoned farm they used as a safe house.

When she turned the corner of the shed, he was sitting there, back leaned against the wall, boots planted firmly in front of him, elbows on his knees, flask of something strong in his left hand.

'_So, is this the point where I have to tell you that you can't be old enough to be a dad?' _She raised a mocking eyebrow at him.

'_I see you are back to your old self, Charlotte,' _his voice was low, but when he took another gulp from his flask, the small hint of a grin was not lost on her.

Bass was not sure why she was here, but _damn_, he could not help but look at her. He watched her close the distance between them, and it was not long before he felt her sitting right next to him against the wall. Almost close enough to feel her upper leg close to his. It made his mind go to a place where it should not go. _Hell,_ he knew what happened back on the road with her a few weeks ago would never happen again. So he drank, and watched straight ahead.

He offered her his flask, which she took from him without words. It reminded him of the weeks they spent together on the road to Willoughby. It had been all cold looks from her, biting words, but every now and then she had seemed to relax. They had sat in front of a fire. Said nothing or shared some stories. He had seen a completely different Charlie. Of course, when it was sunrise again, it had been going back to their old routine of her barely tolerating him.

'_You have a kid,'_ Her voice was surprisingly serious, and it lacked her usual mocking for him.

'_I have a kid,' _He paused for a moment, tension appearing in his face, _ 'and as far as your mother is concerned, he is just like me.'_

There was a bitter and dark tone in his voice when he raised his hand with the flask in a mocking toasting gesture. _'Here's to that.'_

Charlie had to suppress a frustrated sigh. She knew damn well Bass had did some pretty unforgivable things to her mother, but there was something about hearing Bass, hearing the pain in his voice when he spoke those words that made her irritated beyond everything.

'_Don't do that. You know it's crap. His trong suits are not all hers, and his flaws are not all you. It doesn't work that way.'_

Bass heard her words and had a difficult time swallowing all of a sudden. His jaws locked to kick out what the hell it was Charlie broke loose in him with those words. What was it with her that made her crawl under his skin every damn time_. Emma._ Somehow she knew Connor was hers.

He honestly did not what to tell her, her words way too much for what he deserved from her.

'_Although his cocky ego, well, that's all you.' _She added with a challenging smile. She bumped her shoulder into his with a playful force.

'_Watch it Charlie,'_ He grunted.

Charlie did not know why, but there was something in his eyes, that had looked so broken although he tried to hide it from her, that made her sit with him a little while longer.

Sit with him under the stars, the cold night air around them. Time passed, and it was whiskey, crickets and them. Like it had been the small house, rain and a fire inside, and them not so long ago.

Charlie did not know who made the first move, she honestly did not. But when his face was close all of a sudden, close enough for her to take in the intoxicating smell of the whiskey on his breath it did happen.

Bass did not know if she moved first, or that he had, but he did not give a fuck. He looked into her blue eyes, piercing through the night in his, when he reached for her chin in his hand, tilted her head back and he brushed her lips with his. He had waited for her to pull back but it did not happen. Instead, he found one of her hands going over his arm.

With his other hand he put away the flask on the ground next to him before he went through her hair. He could feel Charlie how opened her mouth and started to breathe faster, and their tongues met. Hot, warm, exploring each other like they did the very first time. Their tongues made slow circles around each other before they both exploded and they crashed into each other.

Bass had to let out a deep grunt when he could taste her and when he heard her soft moans against his mouth.

Charlie's hands moved from his neck to his chest, going over the defined muscles. She grabbed his shirt to have something to hold onto. She was not sure she would ever get enough of feeling his hard body against her hands. She slipped one hand under his shirt. Finding little hairs just above the waistband of his jeans before she reached back up and let her hand explore where it wanted to go.

Their kiss intensified, both of them struggling with being quiet. Bass felt how he slowly lost control and he put his arms around her and pulled Charlie over into his lap. _Hell_, she fitted perfectly in against and close to him. He put one hand over and then under both of her knees, readjusting her in his arms so he could reach the curves of her breasts.

Charlie let out a moan when she felt how hard he was under her. Moaned again when her body seemed to remember all the things Bass did to her in that kitchen, on that couch.

Bass only thought was about fucking her against the wall of the shed but there was no way in hell he could take that risk tonight, not if he wanted a very pissed Miles walking into them. So he kissed her, he pulled her impossibly close. He let his hand slide under her tank top and got her bra out of the way with more force than he had intended, so he paused for a moment to make sure she was okay. But she seemed to moan only more by that sensation. He wrapped his hand around her breast and felt the weight of it in his hands.

Although he told himself he wouldn't, one of his hand started to reach down, teasing her through her pants.

Charlie had to close her eyes when she felt his hand going for that perfect spot between her legs, only the fabric of her pants between his hand and her skin. The thought drove her wild while she leaned back into his strong arms and felt the leather from his jacket rub against her cheek.

The scent of leather combined with whiskey would forever be Bass.

Her hips moved on their own and she started to buckle up against his hand. She knew they could not go any further, if Miles or anyone else would find them in this position, Bass would be very dead, or at least would miss some very vital body parts that she actually had started to appreciate.

So, right before they both felt there was no turning back, he slowed down the kiss. Planted a kiss in her neck. Let one of his hand go over her ass and grabbed it for a moment. He removed a lock of hair out of her face. Charlie still held on to him, his leather jacket firmly in her fist.

'_Damn it,'_ he growled all of a sudden. _'I have second watch.'_ One more hungry kiss on her lips. Her hand going over the scruff of his beard.

He slowly lifted her away from her lap with a ton of regret. When they both had gotten up, they were standing close for just a couple of seconds, his body close enough so Charlie could feel his hardness against hers. His hand at the back of her neck, his lips brushing hers.

'_Keep thinking what the hell you were thinking,'_ His voice growling in her ear the way only Bass could, right before he turned around.

Charlie watched Bass walk back to their safe house. His hand went through his hair. _Damn, _she thought,_ So yeah, there was a good possibility that something might happen again between them after all. _Her lips were swollen and she could taste the whiskey on her lips.

Bass almost reached the safe house when he took breaths to make sure the aching sensation of his hard cock against the inside of his pants would disappear like right now. When he almost reached Miles, there was only one thing on his mind that caused him to grin_. Hell, this girl was trouble. But it was exactly the trouble he liked to be in._

* * *

_**As always, feel free to share your thoughts and tell me what more you like to see in this story, maybe it can inspire me for more what you guys like!**_

_**As always, thank you for reading! Knowing you like this story so much, makes me smile and really want to keep on writing, doing it all for you !( hmm, did Bass didn't say something like that to Miles: I did it all for you? :) ) Until the next chapter...ciao! Love from Love**_


	9. Chapter 9 A stone wall

_**First of all, thank you for your sweet reviews, they made my day! As a writer, that's my biggest reward, knowing you all like the story! I want to apologize for the little mistakes that stay behind in every chapter. I have to edit everything myself, so, there is always a small blind spot ( like Bass? Yes, like Bass!) when it comes to my mistakes. I try to do to my best to make sure to keep them to a minimum ( like Charlie promised Miles with her 'stupid'? Yes, like Charlie!). **_

_**I do not own Revolution, this is just a daydream about what could have happened too...**_

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A stone wall

* * *

_Keep thinking what the hell you were thinking._

His every word shocking through her system, his low voice, borderline smug, and the scent of whiskey and his leather jacket were still lingering around her. On her skin and inside of her head.

Charlie sat back down against the wall of the shed after Bass had disappeared from her sight. She took in a deep breath and wondered how the hell that had happened. Yet again.

There was still anger running through her, although it had been gradually changing from the moment she had to face him on a daily basis and spent weeks and weeks with him on the road. More than enough loathing too, and irritation about his utter arrogance at times, if not most of the time, but there was also more of that damn pull she felt every time he was remotely near. There was also the fact that they could fight alongside each other, after spending only so little time together.

And when she thought about it, about their weird pull towards each other, she had seen it in his eyes too from a very long time, maybe even from the very beginning. She had only seen it now, when she looked back. Sometimes things were so in front of you, and so out of what you thought was possible, that it was hard to notice, Charlie thought.

It was not what she had expected, this man, _Bass_. It was wrong on many levels, she almost hated herself for these feelings, but it was a raw kind of good, a raw kind of attraction she was not able to fight. She fought the better part of her life. For the people she loved, for the things she believed in, for the things she lost, and for simply not knowing what else to do, who else to be.

When she was around Monroe, _Bass_, the way she would refer to him in her head changing during the day, something happened. Something she did not understand. Something that tore her inside, but also something that felt so incredibly good. That made every fibre in her body respond. And because she simply did not know how to do things whole heartedly she could not ignore those feelings.

She should just walk away, but here was the thing. She couldn't. She didn't want to. It was a twisted, weird and unexpected truth, but it was the truth nevertheless.

Without even noticing, being with Bass, was like a world away from all the mess, and although Charlie was sure it would not last long, before everything broke down again, like it always did, whatever that everything might be, she could not resist.

She let her head rest against the wall behind her. Closed her eyes and let her mind drift back to him. Yes, she had been with other man before, she enjoyed those moments where she had felt in charge, where she drowned herself in something simply to forget everything else. It had always been hasty, brief, often anonymous, although with Jason it had been none of those things.

And yet, it was still not the same as how she felt with Bass. He unleashed a hunger in her, and he was the only one that could satisfy that hunger. He did things to her body she never ever experienced, that she never thought would be possible. It was new, it was overwhelming, but she always felt like she could let go with him.

He unleashed something inside of her that could not be tamed.

So her mind drifted back to him. His deep kisses, his warm whiskey breath on her, the way he seemed to be everywhere, tall, strong, all muscles, all hard body. The fight in her between what she should do, how it should be, keeping her distance from him for a lot of very good reasons and what she wanted kept her in its grip every day.

It was exhausting, it was breathtaking, it was infuriating.

And then there was that desire that filled her mind, so strong, that it set her skin on fire in the cold nightly air.

_Bass behind her, her chest shoved against her back when he pressed her against the wall behind her, taking her, rough, fast. No words, only thrusts and heavy breathing in her ear. _

The sheer aching in her core when she could almost feel him behind her, made her stop breathing for a moment when all that remained was more thirst for this man. She had to actively stop herself from wanting to slide a hand between her legs, when she cursed his name in her head, yet again.

* * *

'_Earth to Charlie,'_ it was Miles' voice that yanked her out of her thoughts.

There had been no space for any kind of activities against any kind off wall. She had hardly exchanged five words with Bass the past few days. Their days filled with their normal routines. Connor who always seemed around. Miles and Bass together, deep in conversation., without doubt making new plans.

So she kept herself busy, went hunting, tried to ignore Connor's flirting although he really did not turn out so bad as she thought. Behind the ego she actually saw his insecurity at times and she remembered how she felt when she got tossed in this mess not too long ago.

It was another day with bright sunlight, and she looked into the amusing eyes of her uncle, standing to her right. Miles had wanted to train with her, and because they had not done that in a long while, and she really enjoyed it when it was her and Miles like days long ago, she had gladly accepted his offer.

With one of his hands of the hilt of his sword, Miles looked at his niece. She had been worlds away, something he was not used too from his down to earth niece. He wondered if Monroe's kid might be the cause of her impressive dream stare. He noticed Connor was acting like a moron around her. He sighed, remembering the headache, nipples, the Neville kid, had given him.

In his hand he held an extra sword for her.

'_You are going to make this to easy for me this way, kid,' _ He smiled at her when Charlie gave him another impressive not so dreamy stare when she took the sword out of his hands.

'_Shut up Miles.' _ She casually tossed her leather jacket on the ground.

Miles was pleased to see his niece was still fast on her feet, she had gotten stronger, faster and he could not help but feel pride when he watched her. He remembered the first time, when he had started to train her. She did not know anything about sword fighting, although she always had one hell of set of instincts, a good aim, a deadly talent with a crossbow, and her stubbornness and her strong will helped her to pick up things fast. Knowing she could protect herself when all hell broke loose, was important to him.

Bass growled at the sunlight when he walked out of the safe house. It had been another one hell of a night.

Last night had been another night of whiskey , and the memory of Charlie in his arms, the weight of her breasts in his hand, his leather jacket wrapped up in hers. Last night had been another night of a whole lot of _not_ thinking of taking her against the wall of the shed , his aching cock against his jeans had kept him company at the thought of her.

Damn, so she was ready for another round. He had never expected her to be. Hell, he had never expected for her to end up in his lap, her body willing, her eyes challenging.

But most of all, her words about the best and worst in Connor had touched him, had cut right through him. He had been so very fucking wrong, when he had thrown in her face in that abandoned swimming pool that she had been a hell of a lot like Rachel.

She wasn't.

What the hell was it with this woman? Why was no not even a possibility when she was around. Damn, he used to run a republic, but this fierce girl seemed to run him at times.

There always seemed somebody around these days, so sneaking of and giving himself a very useful and very fucking much needed hand, if he could not have her right now, was not an option. Frustration because there was nothing he could do, knowing she was so damn close and that she was willing to be with him again, had turned into another night of blue ball hell.

He sat down next to his son, biting off a piece from the apple that was his breakfast. He watched Connor when his kid's eyes were somewhere he really fucking wished they were not. On Charlie's ass. He ripped another piece of the apple between his teeth, this time with more force, when all he wanted to do was rip his son apart from what the hell the kid thought he was doing.

He had seen it happen before, he had seen his kid try to impress Charlie. He had seen it and watched Charlie when she laughed at him, padding Connor on his shoulder and walk away. He hated to admit it, but a sharp sting of jealousy went through his gut. Charlie did not seem interested, but man, he really wished his son would leave her the hell alone. The quick contact Charlie made with her hand on Connor's shoulder had played in his head too many times.

'_That girl has some great curves,'_ Connor admitted, when he tore his eyes away from Charlie and faced his dad. When Connor first saw Charlie, he was quite taken with her. Great body, smart mouth, and very skilled at a lot of things. He liked her. He could not stop wanting to be around her. _'What's her story?' _

Bass had to control himself with anything he had not to punch him in the face on the spot, when Connor was practically drooling over her.

'_Don't you talk about her that way. That's Miles' niece. Told you we need him. So watch your mouth.' _It was a deep growl, a sharp warning in his voice.

Connor shrugged, before he got up and decided he did not need this from his dad. Before he walked away he watched his dad for a moment, his father's eyes back on the young woman, before he watched Charlie again. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked off.

Bass threw what was left of the apple away , with his lips pressed against each other, tension running through his body.

He watched Charlie, her movements precise, flowing, training with his brother. _Hell,_ he could not get enough of her. His arms were resting on his knees while he followed her with his eyes. She could stand on her own, Miles had taught her well. He had noticed it before, and damn it, he would lie if it was not one hell of a turn on.

Miles expected her to take a left, going for the defence when Charlie did exactly the opposite, taking him of guard for just one second, maybe even less, but nevertheless, she surprised the hell out of him. She moved fast, and he immediately recognised that move as one of Bass his tactics.

His reply to her move was fast and when her sword was on the ground next to her, Charlie watched how Miles' face went to a kind of interesting purple in front of her.

'_What in the hell,' _he yelled, _ ' did that prick taught you how to do that?!' _

Charlie tilted her head back and laughed at her very pissed of uncle.

'_He didn't. But I did pay attention.' _She said, delighted with his reaction, a grin on her face, when she firmly planted her hands on her hips.

Bass had seen her make the move he recognised as one of his own. So, this girl that had been barely tolerating him on their way back from Vegas, _had_ indeed been paying attention. He felt a grin spreading across his face fast, when he saw how Miles watched Charlie with disbelieve.

Then Miles watched him.

'_You think this is funny?_' he barked at Bass, still very much not amused about the way Charlie had used of one Bass his moves against him.

Bass saw Charlie standing across from Miles, bright eyed, hands on those amazing hips, while she watched Miles in amusement, one eyebrow raised, a smile on her stunning lips.

'_You ask me if I think it is funny that you are getting your ass kicked by Charlie?'_

He paused, a smirk around his lips.

'_Hell yeah.' _

Charlie watched both of the men. For a moment she thought Miles would go for it and storm to Bass but he seemed to change his mind. He shook his head and laughed. She was stunned. Her moody uncle actually laughed. In front of Bass.

And for the first time since she had brought Bass back, her uncle and Bass shared an almost boyish grin on both of their faces. She could not help but smile with them.

That was until a very pissed of Rachel stood behind Bass, daggers in her eyes when she watched him, watched Charlie and fixed her eyes on Miles.

_'Miles, can I speak with you?'_ Her tone ever so soft, but with a cold edge in it.

'_Guess the fun is over,_' Bass grunted under his breath, watching the smile fade away from Charlie's eyes.

* * *

Charlie had not been able to sleep. This time not because of a nightmare or because she was cold or sore from a day full of endless walking or fighting, but because of the man who was really busy pretending to be asleep not far away from her. Charlie bit her lip. Everybody else seemed fast asleep. Connor turned in his sleep for a moment when she slid away from her bedroll and into the night air. Being able to move around without a sound did was only an advantage when it came done to hunting. She almost giggled at that thought.

When she heard the sound of boots behind her when she reached the shed, she was not surprised. Her heart started to race in her chest when she felt his breath against the skin of her neck.

'_Couldn't sleep?'_

Charlie nodded her head at him, still without facing him.

She felt how he placed his hands on her upper arms.

'_Hell, have been thinking about you,' _his voice was almost too low to register. There was nothing dreamy in his words, it was just a simple statement with a determination that already made her breathing heavier.

And in that moment she knew for sure she wanted nothing less than him.

* * *

_**As always, a very big thank you for reading, thank you for following this story. As always, feel free to share your thoughts. About the story and where it could go, or where you would love to see it go. Your opinions matter to me. I adore hearing from you. Chapter 10 is almost done and I will publsih that one very soon. I will work on 'Words of betrayal' too, so it is back to writing for me. Until the next chapter! Love from Love**_


	10. Chapter 10 More

_**I want to thank you for all your amazing reviews, I am so glad you liked this chapter, I am so glad you liked the moment between Charlie, Miles and Bass. I am so glad you are still following this story. You have my gratitude!**_

_**Now it is time to return to a shed, in the middle of the night. Charlie can't sleep, so can't Bass.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Revolution. This is just a daydream about what could have happened too!**_

* * *

_**More**_

Bass had not been able to sleep, simply because he knew Charlie was not asleep either. They had spent enough time on the road together for him to know that much. It had started as a bitter need for making sure she would not kill him off in his damn sleep. But being aware of her became an habit. It had started as one thing, but had gradually become a whole other.

He was pretty damn sure she had stopped the attempts on his life, but with this woman, you just never knew for sure. And why the hell made that realisation want him to want her even more?

And now she was standing so close in front of him, her back towards his chest, that he could take in the scent that was so very much Charlie.

When he had told her he had been thinking about her, the tone he used making damn sure in what way, he felt how Charlie tensed up for a moment and let out a soft sigh, almost a moan, that told him she had done the same.

He had guessed it, many times before now, but to know he had been right, _fuck_, it was hot as hell.

'_Tell me what you want, Charlotte,' _he kept his voice down, breaking the silence in the shed again.

He damn well knew what he wanted, but he wanted to see what she would do.

Bass wanted to bite her neck but instead he turned her around to face him.

Charlie felt her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, but forced herself to tilt her head back and look him right in the eyes. She never backed out of anything when it came to all things Sebastian Monroe. When she had walked outside, part of her knew he would follow. That feeling was enough to make her pulse with anticipation all on its own.

Bass watched how her eyes answered his question when they flickered to the wall behind him and the blush on her face told her exactly what she wanted.

He lifted her hair of over shoulder, exposing smooth skin, and slowly reached for her neck with his mouth. Charlie wished she could stop herself, she did not wanted to give him the pleasure of showing what he could do to her so soon, but a soft moan escaped from the back of her throat when his wet lips found sensitive skin.

She wanted to reach for him but all of a sudden he turned her around and moved her towards the wall in one strong movement. They way he picked her up like she was weighing nothing, was again a reminder how easily he could have hurt her when she tracked him down and tried to kill him before. A reminder that how much she had challenged him, again and again, with the sole purpose of wanting a reaction of destruction to match her desperate need to forget, to fight her way away from those moments in time she wanted to forget, he never did. He never hurt her.

Her boots on the soft ground of the shed, her hands landed against the stones before her and his strong arms wrapped himself around her waist and breasts.

Bass had thought extensively about what the hell it would be like to have her between his chest and that damn wall, but man, nothing had prepared him for this.

He knew they were taking a risk, he knew but he did not give a damn right now. He needed her, needed to slam into her, to hold her, to hold on to her, to get lost in her.

He needed to hear how his name would sound from her lips. Not the loathing or mocking _Monroe_, but Bass. Somehow he always seemed to be Bass to her when it was skin to skin, breath against breath.

It made him forget all the General and President bullshit from the past, all the things he had done, the things that were lost somewhere in the chaos of darkness, just for one moment. With her he was Bass.

_Fuck_, his name sounded so damn good coming from her. It was too damn addictive.

So, he shoved the thought about that risk out, and pulled her soft body close to his.

Charlie was not so sure she could breathe anymore. She felt the cold of the wall against the palms of her hands and radiating towards her, but the warmth and the hardness of his body pressed to her body behind her. Bass tall body, his broad chest and his strong defined arms gave her the feeling there was no other world than him.

She felt his hardness pressed against her and arched back towards him, grinding against his cock. It earned her a low growl in her ear that made something spasm in her core already.

It was the first time he took her almost fully dressed. The luxury of time like they had before was simply not there this night.

His hands disappeared under her jacket and tank top to caress her breasts, to play with her hard nipples while he felt how Charlie reached back and rubbed his cock through his pants. Her longing moans told him exactly what she craved.

'_Hands against the wall,'_ it was a hoarse whisper in her ear.

Her first instinct was to tell _him to go to hell_, it would not be the first time, although those were under different circumstances which did not involve a very hard Monroe pressed against her body when he was about to take, but her treacherous want for him did what he asked of her.

Charlie felt how he opened the button of her pants, and how his hand, rough skin, slipped inside. Bass felt a tug towards his balls when he felt how wet she already was under his fingers. Her soaked panties against the other side of his hand.

He played with her clit, held on to her with his other arm, while Charlie braced herself against the wall when the wave of pleasure hit her.

When Bass noticed how she pushed herself into his groin he could not wait anymore. He let her pants glide over her legs.

Charlie's mind was racing, craving him, not sure how to tell him what she craved tonight. Her pride, and her stubbornness, prevented her from actually saying it to him Because what she craved this night was roughness, to let herself melt into his strength, she craved for him to overpower her when she felt and heard how he was opening his belt behind her.

That sound, that moment, the sheer raw feeling of anticipation before he would thrust inside of her, would play through her mind , even months from now, at nights when he would not be around, when her hand found its way home to her warm core, and she would come every time with a force that made her explode around her own fingers.

_One sound. _

_One man._

She tilted her head back and crashed her mouth on his. Right before that she caught a glimpse of his eyes, of his face, and the lust she found there made her hand reach for his curls and Charlie yanked him towards her. She bit his under lip while their tongues were caught in a battle of their own.

She was not sure any more if she was fighting him or that she deeply, desperately wanted him. Maybe it was both right now.

It made his cock twitch against her ass.

The look in Charlie's eyes, the red blush on her cheeks and the almost shy look in her eyes for a second , followed by the absolute ferocity that exploded from within her right after, told Bass what she wanted.

She did not have to ask. He would give it to her.

He placed his hands on the exposed skin of her hips and with one thrust, with one deep grunt, he took her, he filled her. It took Charlie everything not to let out a deep scream with sheer lust and the utter amazement at how he had been able to read her.

Bass waited, while he felt how her walls tightened around him. He pulled back and he let his dick disappear into her again, this time removing one of his hands and placing it on the place between her shoulder and neck. Charlie had to brace herself again against the wall. His fingers dug deep into her skin.

They both knew this time was going to be different than the times they had been with each other in the house. It was fast, it was filled with an aching craving for each other, with an intensity that belonged to them.

With every thrust she had to remind herself to stand up straight, her knees almost giving up on her with pleasure. They found a pace that left them both out of breath fast, and when she thought she was not able to stand up straight anymore she felt his arms all around her, holding her, keeping her steady, while he slammed into her.

She fought back a deep moan when she felt how her orgasm started to hit her. He was hitting that one spot inside of her, that gave her a new pulse of sheer goodness, that made her have to let go and made her have to let go off the wall and held on to anything that was Bass. He did not stop her when she moved her hands.

His name emerged from the back of her throat without even having to think about it.

_Bass._

Bass felt how she tensed up against him and around his cock and slammed into her one more time , wrapping herself around her, her hands clinging onto him, until it was them, away from the wall, her weight and body in his arms. Until she collapsed against his chest, tilting her head back, her body slamming into him this time in waves.

There it was.

_Bass. _

His name exploding from Charlie coming undone in his arms, drove him over the edge.

She knew he had been with his share of woman, but the idea she broke this lose within him, gave her a rush that made her dizzy. She was not in the shed anymore, she was with him.

When he realised how damn wet she was around his cock and his balls, he cursed himself for wanting to come deep inside of her. Instead, his face disappeared into her hair, and when he pulled out, with all that was left of his self control, he came all over her soft thighs, her fingernails digging into the leather of his jacket, both of them wrapped against each other.

Charlie felt his weight landing on hers, and the only thing they could do was leaning against the wall together, with Bass strong arms tight to her body, shielding her from the wall and let her collapse into his hold, his breathing into her ear and the scruff of his beard against her cheek.

'_Was that what you wanted Charlotte?_' his words hoarse, his breath warm against her neck.

'_It was more Bass,' _her voice low and her words said with such openness, that he was fucking thankful for the support of the brick wall before them, when the only thing he could do was feel her lips against the scruff of his beard.

* * *

Charlie watched how her mother tried to protest. Behind her Monroe and hero boy were busy with their final preparations for their road trip. Little did they know she would join him in a bit.

The look of Bass his face when he would realise this was not just a father son road trip was already causing her to grin from ear to ear.

Miles had asked her to join both man on their trip to Vegas, where Monroe knew some kind of war lord who could help them out with the issue of needing more men in their fight against the patriots.

' _You know, because the six of us against a whole army of patriot morons is not exactly ideal,' _ was her uncle's simple explanation.

'_And well, somebody need to watch the Monroe's , make sure they actually comeback and not restart their kingdom again. Gene can't leave, Rachel wants to stay around and somebody needs to watch the patriots.'_

'_And my mom,' _ she added, frowning at Miles with a challenging smile around her lips.

'What?' She noticed how Miles tried to act casual, but he could not hide the shock from her words. Charlie turned away from him, without answering him to face her mom.

She was glad to put some distance between whatever it was that was going on between her mother and Miles, and any distance between her and her mom seemed always to do their relationship good.

A deep pulse in her core told her that some more time with Bass probably was not the worst.

But Charlie took Miles his words serious.

Yes, Bass, seemed different. He had been serious when he had told her they were all on the same side now right after Portsboro. He saved her life. Multiple times. She saved his. And damn, their encounter against that wall still left her with a good kind of sore. And how she hated herself for it, she knew it would probably not the last time.

She remembered the moment of comfort when his hand found the back of her head in that house on that rainy afternoon in front of the fire. Up until that moment she had forgotten what it was like to experience that, to have somebody sit with you in silence, when you felt like the greyness were swallowing you alive. The travelling book was still tucked somewhere deep in her bag.

But this was also Sebastian Monroe. _The _Sebastian Monroe. He was fighting with them, and she saw different sides of him, he seemed to treat her differently than everyone else, but the dark was still there. She was not naive. Whatever different side she saw of him, he also knew that things were still the way they were. She knew what he promised Connor in Mexico. She had heard them talking alone the past few days.

She knew her heart, she knew her mind.

She knew she would not follow him back on any path of darkness and destruction.

Charlie watched her mother's face when everything in that expression told her she clearly did not agree. Before Rachel could open her mouth Charlie opened hers.

'_I am going, it's not a debate,'_ and with that she turned around. Sunlight in her hair, clear blue eyes facing forwards for what would be next.

She watched how team Monroe was all ready to go.

She threw her stuff in the back of the wagon and when she climbed in herself, both Connor and Bass, who had the reigns in his hand, turned her way but her eyes did not meet Bass'.

'_Who says you are invited?'_ his tone challenging and low, but the rest of his face told another story. It was subtle, probably only visible to her, but there was actual amusement in his face.

'_Who says it is up to you?'_ She threw back in his face.

When she made herself comfortable, her back facing Bass' back when he sat the wagon in motion, she smiled at her mother and Miles who were disappearing in the distance.

Whatever was happening between her and Bass, it was messy, she knew that, she knew it from the start. But the world around her was a dark mess too, it was hard, and fast and she did not even know if any of them would be here alive for another sunset. So, all the emotions that were swirling around in her mind and heart, just added to that mess. But this was her mess, her puzzle to figure out. And those moments with him, the pull between them, felt good. It shouldn't be. It couldn't be. But it did. So, here she was. Here he was.

She heard Bass mumble something to Connor behind her about _stubbornness_ followed by a short _don't ask_ with a deep sigh.

* * *

_**I know many of you hoped for more Charlie and Bass 'alone-time'. In this chapter, they found each other again in a s**__**hed at night. Just the two of them... Always, feel free to let me know what you think! I will work on 'Words of betrayal now', but I will post a new chapter here soon as well. Until the next chapter..Love from Love**_


	11. Chapter 11 A fire and a warlord

_**Wow, what an amazing reviews you send me for last chapter! I am so glad you liked that one :) I am so happy you all like this story, and that you are still following and reading it. So, a very big thank you with a very big smile for all of you. You are amazing! And now...we are headed to Vegas.**_

_**I do not own Revolution. This is just a daydream about what could have happened too...**_

* * *

_**A fire and a warlord**_

* * *

They had covered a lot of ground today. Right before sunset Charlie had set out to go hunting, her crossbow close to her back, while Connor's eyes followed her into the line of trees.

Bass let out a sigh of frustration through his teeth at the sight of his kid's eyes wandering off, again. He lead the horses away from the wagon so they could rest for the night.

With the exception of Connor ideas about Charlie, ideas he wanted to smack right out of his kids head, although he realised that would be one hell of a case of bad parenting, this trip turned out to be a breather he needed from Rachel and her entourage. From their constant nagging, from her condescending remarks about Connor.

The three of them had found a rhythm on the road.

When Charlie had thrown her stuff in the back of the wagon behind him, right before he had wanted to put the wagon in motion, there was a part of him that couldn't believe Miles had sent her as a god damn babysitter. He had some serious thinking and strategizing to do with his kid. And he had planned to do that without any Matheson around.

_Who says it is up to you? _Her words an echo in his mind.

The complete _fearless right in his face without any reservations_ attitude from her, when she had thrown another question back in his face as an answer to his own, made his body react in a very physical way.

When they were on the road he realised two things. One. Charlie wanted to go with them, with him. For the simple reason that her stubbornness prevented this woman from doing anything she did not wanted to do . And second, Miles trusted him enough to let Charlie come on their road trip.

Somehow his brother had figured out his niece was safe with him. Because _damn it_, she was.

They had made camp at a small clearing, away from the road. The sun had set hours ago, and the pink and orange sky had transferred into a dark sky filled with stars.

Charlie was sitting not far away from him, her arms resting on her knees, the glow of the fire golden on her skin. Although he was on first watch, Charlie had not gone to sleep. Connor however was asleep at the other side of the fire.

He watched his kid for a moment. Dark curls, strong jaw line.

Bass still had to get used to the fact that when he looked at Connor, it was like looking in a god damn mirror. But it was also Emma who haunted him in the features of his kid. The truth about her death was still hiding in the dark between Connor and him and he damn well knew that it would not hide there forever. The memories of that one bullet crashing into her. The deafening sound. The body of a woman he once loved collapsing into his arms, for the last moments of her life, in the middle a town that was once his home, seemed to work their way towards him whenever he managed to get some sleep these days. Since Connor was a daily part of his life, the nightmares had come back at full force. He could still her face when he felt the shock of her telling him that somewhere out there, he had a son. His family.

'_What do you miss the most, you know, from back then?' _

Bass had been lost in his own dark thoughts, lost in the dance of the flames of the fire, when her voice broke the silence.

Every now and then, she looked at him with an openness that he remembered from a much younger Charlie, from many years ago. From before the whole world went to hell. She had changed so fucking much, she seemed to change every damn time he met her again. But that clear look, those eyes that did not seem to miss a thing, had managed to stay the same, to survive.

After a couple of weeks on the road together, weeks still to go before they would reach Willoughby, these nightly moments had been there.

Somehow the night could change everything, and in the dark silence he had seen more than loathing and disgust in her eyes when she sat in front of him at the fire.

They had talked about Miles, about their memories from a time and world lifetimes away. It usually started with a fire, a bottle of booze and some mocking insults, but somehow that had turned into something else. They never seemed to last long, before he could see how she pulled her wall back around her, and shut him out again. But man, he enjoyed those talks with her. He had no idea if she actually remembered him. She must have been what, five, six years old when he saw her for the last time? He had to admit, he was curious if she did remember him, but he also knew it was like entering a field of landmines, if he would go there. So he kept his mouth shut and let her come to him.

He looked up at her.

'_Music and a cold beer on a Saturday night.' _

He was not sure from this angle, but he saw the faintest of smiles appearing around her mouth.

'_How about you, Charlotte?'_

Charlie looked at him, and her eyes found his. The lines in his face were not as harsh as they could be. And although his voice was low, there was something about him this night that made her withhold any kind of mockery towards him.

'_I miss falling asleep, knowing you can actually sleep. I know it was there, before. I know there was a world when I could actually fall asleep feeling...'_

Charlie paused for a moment when she tried to find the right word, remembering something that she thought must have been her old room back at a home she barely remembered.

'_...feeling sheltered. I miss falling asleep without being on edge. Knowing that at any given time all things can spin out of control again.'_

Bass wondered how the hell this girl could put a knife in his gut with her words. She had talked with such a calmness about this, the way only Charlie could. It was like she was observing herself and the world around her, instead of actually being a part of it.

Charlie jerked her head back to the fire and cursed herself in silence. How the hell did this man do this? How did she unveil something that belonged to her, that was hidden somewhere in her for nobody to see? How on earth did _Sebastian Monroe_, off all men, made her feel that there was room for her to be?

Why on earth did she feel he understood her better than anyone at times and why did she get the feeling all of a sudden he had been there too, just like Miles had been, all those years ago in a completely different world?

She expected him to laugh at her, to make some kind of remark of this vulnerability she had shown. To mock here and treat her like a damn child.

He didn't.

Bass acted on an impulse. _Hell_, controlling his impulses was never his thing. But he moved forward and crouched down behind her. Charlie's slender body fitted too damn good between his knees. He reached out his hand and put a lock of hair behind her ear.

'_Get some sleep Charlotte. No one is going to touch you, tonight. No one.'_

He felt how Charlie tensed up before him, and for one moment he wondered what the hell he had been thinking. He had just crossed some kind of line with her. They both knew it. But the words were out in the open.

Bass expected to find a coldness in her eyes when she would pin her eyes at him, he expected her to push him away with biting words. But instead he felt how she relaxed and her body moved closer to his. He saw how she tilted her head back. He moved his hand from her hair to her jaw and gently moved his fingers along her skin until he held her chin in his hand.

Neither of them moved. His touch had been a different one than the other night, it was light, it was not the first move to something heated. It felt different and the tingle on her skin from his rough skin was something she revelled in.

For one moment Charlie thought he would close the distance between them even more, but with one gentle movement he let go of her chin and sat back down behind her.

So she let herself glide into her sleeping bag. The warmth of the fire before her reached her body, touched her face. She felt Bass close behind her without him actually touching her. Her eyes felt heavy, and her last thought before falling into a deep sleep was the realisation that she actually felt safe enough to sleep close to him. Somehow, on this cold and clear night, somewhere between Willoughby and Vegas, Sebastian Monroe had made her feel the closest to safe she had felt in a long time. Secure. Shielded.

_**Vegas**_

Bass snapped his fingers at Gould. If he would look at Charlie one more second the way Gould did, the greasy son of a bitch, he would snap his god damn neck. He used to rule a damn Republic, now he was busy talking to this weasel.

The past few days had been uneventful. The days had filled themselves with long hours on dusty roads. He enjoyed having Connor around. The kid seemed to open up a little bit more. It also meant there was less time for him and Charlie. _Fuck_, he wanted her. She was so damn close but there just did not seem any time or place for them to be together. And by some of the looks she threw him, he just knew it was on her mind too.

He knew that in Vegas, there would be no time and no place to focus on anything else than what they came here for. Vegas was an unforgiving place, and he knew he could not afford any mistake.

When they had walked into Vegas, Charlie walked close to his side. The girl who had made it her goal in life to put as much distance between them from the start, had actually walked beside him, close enough for the leather of both their jackets to touch. They had walked through the small main street, that was meandering its way through the camps.

And now, Bass pinned Gould down with his eyes, he was losing his patience fast. Rage started to build up from his core.

He quickly glanced back at Charlie and noticed how Charlie was given Gould an impressive _are you serious_ Matheson stare. Hell, she reminded him so much of Miles. And hell, it made him want to drag her outside and let his hands glide under her tank. For starters.

He had felt Connor's eyes on him when Gould had welcomed him back to his crap hole casino with a loud _'Jimmy King.'_

_Jimmy King._

It had been the man he had become after the Tower. The man who had dragged himself through the days and nights, feeling half dead, ripped apart with guilt, hoping that every fight would be the one that would kick him into complete darkness. Days of booze, another woman, another whore wanting to work her way into his bed every night, another fight, his body numb, his mind blank. He had tried to disappear into a whole lot of nothing, but his shadows were always there. That was until she had showed up.

He had turned into Gould's best fighter, and the asshole was far from happy he had left that life behind. Bass knew Gould had missed out on some steady income when he could not use him in the ring anymore.

Charlie had not even moved a muscle, when Gould approached them. This girl knew about who he used to be here, although neither of them had ever talked about it.

_'Have you seen Duncan?' __Bass was pretty much done spending one more second with Gould._

_'Forget Duncan_, '_You and I have unfinished business, Jimmy_ ' Gould said to Monroe_._

He got cut off when one his men approached him and said something in a soft and low tone that Charlie could not understand.

'_We got to make things right,_'_Bass expected Gould to pat him on the shoulder like they were some old friends, and he was fucking grateful he didn't because it might have been the one thing to set him off and rip his throat out.__And with those words he turned around and walked away from them._

'_Feel free to bring your lady friend.' _Gould _ shot Charlie one more greasy disgustingly hungry look._

'_Dick,'_ Bass grunted under his breath. _'Come on,'_ he nodded at Connor and Charlie.

The only thing he wanted to do now was find Duncan. Find Duncan. Get those man they needed. Get the hell out. And maybe rip Gould's throat out before they left, if there was any time.

That _was_ the plan.

Charlie was scanning the warm and crowded tent for any signs of possible trouble, she knew the look on Bass' face meant business. When Connor was his charming and cocky self, right before they had entered this tent, he had told Bass he knew what he was doing after Bass told him to pay attention. _Not here you don't _ had been Bass simple and very clear reply. It had made her smile to find herself literally in the middle of their father son banter.

Gould was the first person that night who made a remark of the possibility of Bass and her being something, anything.

Duncan Paige would be the second.

They walked into a more private area at the back of the crowded tent. Charlie immediately felt the energy change. Bass stood between her and Connor, while they watched a group playing cards.

'_Hello Duncan.' _His tone was firm, but with a kind of charm in it that already rubbed Charlie to wrong way.

Charlie waited for any of the men to turn around. None of them turned toward Bass.

She watched how a slender brunette placed her cards on the table in front her and turned her way towards them. Dark eyes, her chin tilted a little bit back, her eyes taking in Bass.

'_Hello Sebastian.'_ Her tone was filled with warning.

_Seriously_, she thought. Bass' Vegas Warlord was a woman? Of course she was. She forced herself to not roll her eyes at him.

'_That's Duncan?'_ Connor asked him, a hint of pleasant surprise in his tone, when his kid had turned his head towards him.

'_And she knows who you are?'_ Charlotte on his other side.

It made him swallow with difficulty. _Man_, this was getting uncomfortable fast.

'_There is not a lot I don't know kid.' _ Charlie narrowed her eyes a bit at Duncan's words. She picked up on Duncan's suggestive undertone.

Duncan brought her attention back to Bass.

'_You are plucking them awfully young these day, aren't you?'_

Bass ignored her.

'_We need to talk. 5 minutes. For old times' sake.' _There it was again, Charlie noticed. His low and _charm my way through_ _anything because I am Sebastian Monroe and I get what I want_ voice.

'_Turn around and walk away while you still can,'_ Her tone meant business.

Charlie watched Bass take one slow but determined step forward.

'_I am afraid I can't do that.' _His spoke those words in a dead calm way, but Charlie knew him well enough by now that this calm was a possible deadly warning. He was not kidding. He was not going to walk out.

When Charlie saw the first of Duncan's man going for his gun, she had grabbed hers from the waistband at her jeans. She pointed her gun directly at Duncan without flinching. Her man had their guns on them.

'_All right, guys, let's all relax,'_ Bass voice coming from her right.

'_Charlie put the gun down.' _His tone was low but she could hear the edge in his words.

Charlie was pissed. This woman had been threatening the hell out of them, when Bass had stepped forward, and now the Warlords bitch eye's were looking at her with amusement, when Bass told her to back the hell down.

'_Charlie, put the gun down. Now.'_ This time it was almost a growl.

She did not let go of Duncan with her eyes, but she did lower her gun.

'_Okay, now just hear me out.' _Bass eyes were fixed at Duncan. His eyes wide, inviting blues towards her.

Charlie saw the charming grin plastered on Bass his face, while he spoke those words. _Seriously?_ This woman had just threatened them, she had his damn back and now he was turning on the charm for this woman as a thank you?

Duncan gave her a belittling smile, before she flashed her eyes back at Bass. Or _Sebastian_ as she called him, in a way that made Charlie want to reach for her gun again and shove it back in the bitch her face.

Things moved fast after that. Duncan got up from her chair and walked towards them in a slow movement that made Charlie think about the movements of a cat. She nodded at her and Connor before she put her eyes back on Bass.

If Charlie had not been sure before, she was sure now. She did not know what was going on, but there was definitely history between Duncan and Bass. If Bass had told her who he really was, that said it all. Never mind the looks Duncan gave him, and the way Bass was looking at her.

'_Only you, Sebastian. My tent. You have 5 minutes.'_

She started walking towards the exit of the tent. Her men followed her.

'_For old times' sake._' This time Duncan looked at Charlie, when her words were directed at Bass, Charlie knew these words were meant for her.

Bass turned around to meet her and Connor.

'_Wait outside, meet you back at the meeting point.'_ His tone was distant and business like.

Charlie was ready to punch him in the face. Was he serious right now? So, it was back to the children's table for her with Connor now? She raised an eyebrow at him and stared him directly in the eyes.

'_Charlie,' _ Bass looked directly back at her for a second. _' Go.'_

And with those words he turned his back to her. Charlie stormed out of the casino tent with large strides, ignoring Gould's stare from the other side of his casino.

Bass and Duncan turned left, she and Connor turned right when they walked outside the tent.

When Charlie turned around once more, she saw how Bass had turned on the charm just a little bit more. His eyes bright, the grin still plastered on his face, his body turned towards Duncan.

Duncan's promising and edgy smile aimed at Bass when her hand reached for his arm for one second, was the last things Charlie saw before the both of them disappeared into Duncan's tent.

She felt stunned. She felt nauseous. Then she felt anger. Anger directed at him. Arrogant son of a bitch. And then she felt anger, anger at herself. How the hell did she ever let this man close? They had been in Vegas for what, a couple of hours, and here she was. Standing outside, locked out of whatever negotiations they would go into, together. Standing outside, when Bass had not even looked back at her anymore.

_No. Just no_.

She would not allow him to dismiss her like she was what? She turned around, ignoring Connor's question where she was going. She marched towards Duncan's tent. A large man, armed to the teeth, moved in front of her.

'_I don't know who you think you are, or what you want, but the answer is no.'_ His voice was raspy, and his tone left no room for discussion. But hell, she was a Matheson, and she would not take no for an answer, not without a fight.

'_I need to see Duncan. I need to see Jimmy. I am with him.' _She gave him her best stare when she nodded to the tent behind the giant in front of her.

_Turn around you moron_. It was Miles voice that echoed through her mind.

'_The answer is still no, Duncan won't see anyone right now. She is kind of in the middle of something. So if I were you, I would turn around.'_

Giant moved his arm away from his side enough for her to see a very impressive knife dangling at his side. She knew enough. She had enough self preservation inside of her to walk away.

Connor had watched Charlie. This girl was nothing like the girls back home. She had been able to surprise the hell out of him. Every single day. This girl was something else and he was not able to figure her out.

He watched her face when she walked beside him, both of them making their way back to their wagon to kill the hours before his dad would come back. As much as this girl tried to hide it, as much as she tried to make everybody believe there was nothing more than hate for this man, the look on her face when she had watched how his old man walked inside the tent with that war lord, a very appetising war Lord he had to admit, told him a different story.

* * *

When Bass had left Duncan's tent, he let his mind wander back to Charlie.

_God damn it. _

This fury of a woman had managed to turn half a war clan against them within seconds, when she had aimed her gun at Duncan Paige. Bass was not sure she even realised she did that at the moment Duncan's men decided to go for it, to go for him. more precisely. She had been fucking stunning when she had shoved her gun in Duncan's face, he had to give her that.

It was the first time he had seen her have his back in this kind of fierce way. He was starting to respect this girl more and more every day.

He had negotiated his way towards much needed help, but with one hell of a prize tag.

One look at Duncan had told him that they were very much in trouble back in the casino_. Fuck_. Duncan had already figured out that there was something going on between him and Charlie. After leaving things the way he did with Duncan, he knew he had to deal with one pissed of Duncan. And that put a target on Charlie's head.

So, although it cost him everything he had, there was no way he could show Duncan she was right. He kept his distance from Charlie, hoping this way Duncan and her men would keep theirs.

There was no way he would drag Charlie further into this. The situation was on the verge of going down the drain, and fast, already.

He knew he had hurt her. He had seen it on her face, he had felt her eyes like daggers in his back when he walked away from her, with Duncan. But he also knew there was no going back. There was no room for errors in this town. They needed those men. And if that meant he had to turn on the charm in front of a woman he was not interested in anymore in, to hell with that.

But now, he wanted, he needed, to find Charlie as fast as he could.

He let one hand going through his messy hair and planted his boots firmly in the dust.

* * *

_**So, Vegas everyone! I am leaving you with a little cliff hanger here, I know! But the chapter was getting too long, very fast ( like they always seem to do), so more in next chapter! Until the next chapter, Love from Love**_


	12. Chapter 12 New Vegas

_**Hey everyone, thank you so much for reading last chapter and sending me your reviews. Your very worried reviews, because of what could happen next in Vegas. So today, it is an extra long chapter to make up for the worry and you will get the answer to that one question you have been asking me: will something happen between Charlie and Connor? That and much more!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Revolution, just a daydream about what could have happened too.**_

* * *

_**New Vegas**_

* * *

'_I have got to admit, I was wrong about you.' _

Connor was walking beside her, in his casual and almost cocky, hands in his pockets way. Charlie walked on his left, and they were making their way through the small path between the tents, heading back for the wagon.

'_Is that so?' _

Charlie was still pissed, visions of how she would break Monroe's nose going through her mind, but the tone in Connor's voice caught her attention. She could use the distraction so she decided to take the bait.

'_I thought you were just some chick.' _

'_Is that supposed to be a compliment?' _She looked up to meet his dark eyes. Connor smiled at her.

'_I mean the girls back home, they're putting beetroot on their lips, they are not pulling guns.' _

They had reached the wagon and Charlie quickly gathered some wood for a small fire. When Monroe was busy making himself comfortable, so could she.

Charlie eyes were drawn to the line of tents in the distance to her right, before she told herself to get to work and get this fire started. But the very vivid Images of him and Duncan were still finding their way to the edges of her mind.

Connor reached out his hands to help her with the logs of wood, and his fingers touched hers for a moment. His hands were warm.

'_I am not like the girls at home am I?' _Charlie tilted her head a little bit to the left.

Connor watched her and paused for a moment before a grin spread around his face.

She pretended she did not see how Connor scanned her whole body with one quick, but not so subtle look. He was definitely flirting with her.

It was different. It felt light. It felt uncomplicated. His attention was fully and completely on her, and by the look in his eyes, he liked what he saw. He was cute, she had to admit that. _He was cute, but he was not him._

'_No, you are definitely not.' _His face turned into a wide grin when he answered her.

Their eyes met for a second before Charlie turned away from his dark eyes, that reminded her too much of somebody else's.

She had the fire going within no time and she sat back, her face towards the fire, her back towards the ten city behind her. Connor sat down next to her, not so close that their body's actually touched, but not so far that that she was out of reach. He had been sure that her lush lips had turned into a flirting smile before, but now he could see her whole face change right in front of him.

He was tempted to touch her lips with his, he was tempted to see where he could take this. She seemed different tonight.

'_Rootbeet on my lips is the last thing on our minds here,'_ She raised her eyebrow at him, a mockery smile on her face.

'_What do you mean?' _Connor asked, genuinely wanting to know where her mind had gone.

'_I have news for you buddy. You just joined the losing team. We are all dead within a year. Tops' _Her voice gradually changed, the smile from earlier disappeared from her face.

'_You really believe that?' _He was surprised by her words. The lightness in her face had changed completely.

'_Don't get me wrong, I'll go down swinging. But we can't beat these guys. It's going to end bloody for everyone.' _

'_Or you could try having a little hope?' _Connor turned towards her, his eyes on her, while he studied her face.

'_I'd rather be realistic.' _Charlie stared in the flames.

Connor watched her, watched her face go blank, but her eyes filled with something that made it hard for him to swallow all of a sudden. It was the first time he saw her dark pain, he saw a different side of this strong, ready for everything girl.

Connor put his hands on his knees and turned his eyes towards the fire. The images of what they could have been doing in front of this fire, curious what it would be like to feel what those lips would be like, were fading away.

The moment was over. And besides, by the way she kept on looking at the tents in the distance, he knew he was not the man on her mind right now. And being second choice, well that was just not him.

* * *

When Bass made his way back to their meeting point he found Charlie and Connor by a fire. _Why the hell was his kid sitting so close to her?_ She did not look up to meet his eyes at first. _Hell_. Not a good sign. No matter what the fuck was going on, they always seemed to tune in on each other, one way or the other.

Connor stood up first, before Charlie got up too and walked towards him.

'_You got those mercenaries?_' Her voice was relaxed. Too god damn relaxed.

'_Yeah we've got them. We just got to pay for them.' _He cursed himself for the way his voice sounded. It was dam right pathetic.

He noticed how Charlie took her damn time to let her eyes go over his body before she did look him in the eye while she tucked her gun back in the waistband of her jeans.

'_Good.'_ She nodded at him, giving him an infuriating smile, one of those smiles she had shot him in an abandoned swimming pool many months ago. He knew Charlie enough by now to feel her silent anger right through every word and every movement. Bass watched how she followed Connor when she walked away from him.

About half an hour later he sat at the bar of Gould's casino, a much needed drink in his hands, his elbows leaning on the dark wood of the bar. Connor and a very familiar Charlie sitting in front of him. It was the same Charlie that had been ready to put an arrow in his neck. _That Charlie_. She had and still hardly said a word to him, and had been avoiding almost any eye contact. And that from the woman who had not been able to keep her mouth shut and never seemed to miss an opportunity to be right in his face every damn time.

Bass watched Charlie. He could not take his eyes of her. Even though she was kicking him out with her whole body language, he watched her. He tried to reach her. With distance in her eyes he saw her lick her lips for a moment in an almost nervous way that was much unlike Charlie when she was scanning the small casino around them.

They were busy planning their strategy. Bass would give Gould the fight the son of a bitch felt he owned him to create the distraction Connor and Charlie needed to get to the stones to pay for Duncan's mercenaries. The diamonds would come by the courtesy of Gould himself. Connor and Charlie would get the stones, they would Rob Gould's casino and get the hell out and meet him back after his fight. Clean and simple.

Charlie almost drowned in the intense and deep look Bass gave her, while he took a gulp from his drink, sitting across from her. Her focus on their plan was her lifeline. But his eyes. _His eyes_. His eyes seemed to look right through her. It made her swirl inside. It was like he was touching all of her, with just his gaze. It woke something in her core, and pulsed right through her body in a warm wave that made her body react to him.

She could not remember any man looking at her the way he did right now. Ever.

She hated herself for what she felt when she met his deep gaze. She hated how under the layer of anger, other feelings had started to stir again. For him. So she focussed on her surroundings, she focussed on the plan ahead. And shoved away the worry she had felt when Bass had told them what his role in this plan would be. The thought of him getting beaten to hell, not trusting Gould one damn bit, did something to her stomach. And all of sudden she realised there had been a day that the prospect of him getting hurt, or worse, had been exactly what she had wanted. But now, it wasn't. Not anymore.

After their drinks, they were almost back at the wagon to prepare themselves for the rest of the night, when Bass caught up with her.

He had run out of patience.

'_Charlie,'_ he tried. When she did not stop he grabbed her elbow.

Connor watched his dad and Charlie and the look on his father's face told him enough. He did not want to get caught in whatever would go down right now between the both of them and he kept on walking.

'_Don't you touch me,'_ She yanked away her arm, giving him one hell of a death stare. _Fuck_. She was really pissed.

'_Would you god damn listen to me?'_ This time he almost yelled at her, his voice a deep rumble.

'_No, you listen to me.'_ Charlie took one step closer to him, entering his personal space, _'I don't know why you think you can treat me like this. Throwing me out of a negotiating like that.'_

'_First of all, I did not throw you out. Damn it Charlie, you put a gun in her face. In Duncan's face. Do you have any idea how the hell that could have turned out?' _His words were sharp. His face close enough for Charlie to feel his breath.

Did this woman have any idea she had been playing with fire in there?

'_After that you could not be in there, when I talked to Duncan. Things were already on the edge of going to hell.' _

Charlie heard his words, but her anger, and maybe her stubbornness too, kept her from seeing the situation from his side. She had been hurt enough for more than one lifetime, she had enough of that.

'_Yes, of course. I am sure your were very busy talking to her, Monroe.' _

Charlie did not miss the effect on her words on him. She saw darkness mixing in his normal so blue eyes. Damn. She did not plan to lash out like this. She was pissed as hell, but she was slowly understanding that she might have read the situation all wrong. But her rage, and hurt, had caused her to flashback to months before, before, when Bass had been Monroe and nothing more. Maybe he should have stayed Monroe.

_Monroe._ She had called him Monroe. They both came to the same realisation at the same time.

Bass looked at Charlie, anger building up in him because of her god damn stubbornness to listen to him. Of what she had just accused him off.

Nothing the hell happened with Duncan. Duncan had been screwing with Charlie because somehow she had found out, that was the way to mess with her. And if he had not been very careful, it would be her way to mess with him too. Duncan was a smart woman, always on the lookout for her enemies soft spot.

She had found his.

But he had not been screwing Duncan_. Yes_, he had charmed his way out of an impossible tense and possible lethal situation. _Hell,_ Duncan had given him some mixed signals herself, he had felt her touch on his arm. He had enough woman in his life to know what that touch could imply. Where this night could have taken them.

But he did not want Duncan Paige. Not anymore. He wanted somebody else. Apparently his mind had decided he wanted blonde curls, blue piercing eyes, hell, fury and stubbornness in one stunning package.

But fuck, they way she was talking to him hurt like hell.

'_Fine, then you don't listen. Whatever.' _He was not yelling anymore. His words were calm, too calm, distance in every word.

Charlie saw the harsh lines in his face, the tension around his jaw, the way he pressed his lips together when his eyes turned cold.

He had changed into a man he had not been to her in a very long time right before her eyes. She hated every second of it.

He stepped away from and walked away to the wagon. Charlie shook her head in frustration and cursed something in silence.

Bass rolled up his sleeves.

'_I am off. I'll meet the both of you at the meeting point.'_

'_Thanks for letting us handle this,' _Connor nodded to Bass.

Connor was gathering the weapons he and Charlie would need to rob the casino. Charlie picked her own from the back of the wagon.

She avoided Bass look. If he wanted to be a son of a bitch, then please Monroe, _go ahead_.

He was almost on his way before he turned to her.

'_Oh and Charlotte. Try not to get yourself killed. Or at least, wait until you are on Miles his watch.'_

And then he was gone, walking into the dark that lead back to the first tents of the tent city.

Charlie was stunned with anger, each of his words hit her like a punch in her face. She was pissed but most of all, she was confused. How the hell did they go from that night at the fire to this?

Something inside of her told her to follow him. But she couldn't. She wouldn't.

She had no idea that within twenty four hours, Bass was closer to death than she could ever imagine.

Bass cursed himself for his words to Charlie even before he reached Gould's fight tent. This whole trip was going to hell right before his eyes_. Damn it_, the last thing he had wanted to do was hurt her. He had wanted to keep her safe. How many things she seemed to throw in his face, how much he cursed himself for that, that never seemed to change. _Damn Mathesons_, god, she was so much like Miles.

He had no idea then that things only would go to hell even more.

* * *

_He had given Gould his fight. _

It had been one hell of a fight, but he had found a way to fight his way through, punch by punch. He just hoped it was enough of a distraction to give Charlie and his kid the time to do what they had to do. He had found Connor afterwards. So far, the plan had worked.

When pride had filled his chest when his son was walking beside him, the diamonds secure, he just wanted to meet Charlie and get them all the hell out of here. No matter how infuriating that woman could be, he still needed to get her out of here.

That was, until one of Gould's man knocked him off his feet, and both him and Connor were dragged into a cage.

That was until Gould, somehow had found out the truth and decided that putting the great Sebastian Monroe and his son in a dog fight to the death, the death match of the year, would earn him one hell of a payday.

Bass had grabbed the son of a bitch by his throat, when Gould made the mistake of coming to close to the fence, wanting to tear him the hell apart, when the weasel had revealed his sick plan. Of course, there were six asshole guards surrounding them, ready to take his kid an him out, so that had to wait. For now.

And now, hours before sunrise, he knew there was no other way out of this. He had to teach his kid everything he knew. He had to teach his son, his blood, a kid that only just came into his life, how to kill him. Because he had to live. He had to get out of here. He had to live.

_Charlie could have walked away. _

When neither Bass or Connor had showed up at their rendezvous point she however didn't. A year ago she would have. But she could not leave Bass behind.

They were fighting on the same side now, and for Charlie that meant not leaving anyone behind. He had saved her life, more than once. But as much as those reasons fuelled her decision not to leave him behind, she knew there was more. She knew now how his body felt against his skin. She knew now how his hand felt when it was going through her hair. She knew now how it felt to get completely lost in him.

She knew now there was more to Sebastian Monroe than she had ever expected to find.

She knew she was not ready to give up on Bass.

So, Charlie had tracked them down, locked in a cage, six guards around them, when she hid in the dark not far from the cage. She had overheard Gould's words with a sickening feeling, disgusted with the idea of a dog fight where only one man would walk away. And she knew that man would not be Bass.

Charlie forced herself to think about her options. And realised very fast that there were no options. There was only one. _Duncan Paige._ It was the only promise for help in this town, it was the only way. So she did what she always did. She grabbed that one way, against the odds, that could lead them to survival.

She forced herself to get up and walked over to the one change to get Bass out Gould's sick plans alive.

He had to get out of there. He had to live.

* * *

The sun had risen again, covering the world around her in a pale grey morning light. There were drops of dew on the coloured leaves on the trees around her. The camp around her was waking up. It had been a cold autumn morning, and how much the beams of the sun had tried to fight their way through the grey mist around her, they had failed. And so had she.

Charlie had walked into Duncan's camp the night before. She had held her head high when she met Duncan. She had told her that if she wanted to get those stones for her mercenaries, she had to help her get Monroe out. She had counted on the history between Duncan and Bass to make this woman help her. She had counted on it but guessed wrong.

Duncan had tied her up in one of her tents, and when she had told Charlie that Sebastian Monroe knew nothing about family, that he knew nothing about fighting for anything else than Sebastian Monroe himself, when Charlie again had tried to reason with her for help, Charlie had surprised himself by defending him.

She had actually defended Sebastian Monroe. She had told Duncan she was wrong.

It had not made one damn difference. And when Duncan had left the tent, Charlie had tilted her head back against the wooden beam she was tied up too, fighting tears and frustration away.

When one of Duncan's men had untied her, Duncan had handed her over to Gould himself, who had been waiting with one hell of a disgusting smile that had set off all the alarm signs within her.

Gould had chained her down on the back of his wagon. The grey mist surrounded Duncan's camp when Charlie threw the bitch one last icy look. Charlie felt the weight of the chains around her wrists. And there was one thought pounding through her mind. _She had failed._

* * *

Bass wanted to tear the fence apart with his bare hands that separated him from Charlie. He had watched how Gould sat in front of the wagon when he approached. And then his eyes found her. A shock went through his system. Charlie sat on the back, the chains around her wrists igniting a rage inside of him.

He told himself to stand his ground, he told himself he could not indulge this sick son of a bitch. Gould would have a field day when he would blow up in front of him. That, and Gould would only hurt Charlie more if he knew he could mess with him this way.

He told himself to get a damn grip, for _her,_ but when her eyes found his, her blue eyes reaching out through the grey hell of misery around them, her blue eyes filled with pain, regret and despair piercing through the fence between them, he _almost_ lost it.

He knew what Gould did to woman, he knew what he would do to a woman like Charlie.

He watched how the greasy son of a bitch climbed down from his wagon like he was the king of the world and walked over to Charlie. He ordered one his men to take unchain her.

Gould was close enough so she could see the sweat on his skin, smell his rancid breath. And then, he reached out his disgusting fingers to touch her cheek. She stared him down, not wanting to give him to pleasure of her reaction.

'_You stay the fuck away from her Gould!' _Bass voice rumbled through the air when he saw how Gould touched Charlie. He let his hands crash into the fence in front of him, his whole body exploded with rage and frustration. He was going to kill Gould. He would rip his throat out and rip him apart, limb by limb.

The sound of the fence echoed through the mist around them and Bass his anger cut right through Charlie.

Gould grabbed Charlie by her hair and walked over to Bass.

'_Look at her, she is a sight for sore eyes. __We will have so much fun with your whore General. ' _

Charlie struggled and tried to get away from Gould's grip on her. It didn't matter. There was nowhere left to go.

'_I will fucking kill you for this Gould, god damn it. I will fucking cut your throat for this.' _

Gould's only reply was a cold laugh. Charlie was slowly losing contact with her own body, when all she could do was look at Bass. She knew it was probably the last time she would see him.

Bass saw how her normally so clear eyes fill themselves with tears, the gaze in her eyes started to match the grey mist of this hell of a morning, when one of Gould's men grabbed her by her arm and yanked her away from him. The way she looked at him was like a god damn bullet, that ripped its way through his entire body.

Even when she was out of his sight, he could picture her eyes, he could picture the look she just gave him, with his eyes closed.

* * *

Bass knew death would be waiting for him some day. But never, never in his darkest hours he would have guessed he would die because his own son would pierce a sword through his chest.

He had never imagined that he would die, after he had taught his child how to give him the final blow.

Maybe this was exactly the end he deserved, but the idea what this would do to Connor, ripped him apart.

At least, he had told Connor the truth about Emma. About how his mother had died in his arms, after taking a bullet, when he had dragged her right into gunfire. He had not pulled the trigger, but she was dead because of him.

It was the truth and he had had used it to ignite rage in Connor, rage his kid would need to kill.

He had told him because Bass wanted him to know the ugly truth. It was the only thing he could give him. So the both men had sit with their back against the cold fence and Bass had asked his son with everything he had to start a life, to get the Republic back, the only thing he could leave behind for his kid. To only thing he could leave behind from himself. He had begged him to not be alone, because that was what he had turned out be.

_Alone._

He had clawed his way to the front of the pack_. _And when he got there, he was alone.

_Alone_.

It had not meant a damn thing. There had been nobody left. He had asked for Connor to not be alone, to find a girl, not _Charlie God, No, he could take a lot of shit, but the idea of Connor pursuing Charlie was one thing he couldn't, _ to have kids. To start a family.

And now, Bass watched Connor. Both man standing close, almost chest to chest in the middle of the fight ring. He watched his son for the very last time, and tried to take in as much as him as he could. No matter where he would go, he would take the image of his kid with him. He felt the edge of Connor's swords going through the flesh of his neck. It would all be over soon.

The crowd around them was screaming, Gould came out of his chair to watch Connor gave the General his final blow.

Charlotte, god Charlotte, was still out there somewhere. But for him, it would end here. It would end in this fight tent, in this hell of a fighting ring. It would end with endless regrets, with endless things he would never be forgiven for. It would end with someone he would never get to know better, he would never get to hold as his own, he would never be able to protect her anymore.

He looked at Connor, he tried to tell him without words that he already had forgiven him for what he had to do to his own father. _It's okay son. It's okay._

The screams and sickening cheering around him faded out, and he watched the change in Connor's face, watched how Connor moved his arm, moved the sword one more time to strike him for the very last time, and one of his heartbeats stretched out to feel like fucking forever.

When he had expected to feel the sword gutting through him, the shot of a gun reached him. The sharp cold blade of his son's sword never reached him, as the crowd on the other side of the fence started to scream and run.

* * *

Gould had dragged her off to a dark and gruel some trailer. It smelled like hell, there was a small bed in the centre and the sheets, she did not even try to think about those sheets anymore. Her mind was already set on one thing.

_To survive. _

She was forced to wear some hooker dress, a dress that remembered her too painfully about the time Dressler had dressed her up like a cheap prostitute.

She knew Miles was too far out this time. She knew this time Bass would not be the one to get her out of trouble like he had done before. She knew it was up to her and her alone.

One of Gould little helpers chained her down to the head board of the small bed with her left arm. She shot him her best deadly look.

The cheers coming from the larger fight tent behind the suffocating trailer told her the fight had begun.

She felt her chest fill with dark sharp tears she would not allow herself to cry right now.

The complete and final knowledge Bass would not be in her world anymore within the next hour.

He would never let his fingers run through her hair after today. He would never sit in front of a fire, keeping watch, while she would sleep. He would never wrap her up in his arms and bring her to the edge, before they would fall over together. He would never find her with his eyes on an unexpected moment during the way.

She would never feel his skin on hers anymore, she would never feel the stubble of his beard against her skin anymore. She would never argue with him up to the point where she was not sure if she would fight him or want to feel his body all over hers. She would never hear his low deep voice that drove her wild in every way possible. She would never be able to thank him for what he did for her, for all the times he saved her in so many ways.

After today, that would be all gone. He would be gone. And the raw emptiness that crept up on her with those thoughts, surprised her to no end.

Charlie heard how the door of the trailer opened, and a large dark man stepped in. His eyes filled with lust were enough to wake up the warrior in her. She decided she would fight. Fight with everything she had. There was nothing more left to do.

Scumbag guy approached her, and she took in a deep breath. He started to touch her, his revolting breath reaching her. His heavy body leaned into hers, his hands were going to places where they did not belong.

His hands were violating her body, his breathing got heavier with a sickening rate, his weight on her made her feel a dark panic, made every fibre of her body scream no.

_Fight, she told herself. Fight._

So she fought, she fought him, she used everything she had ever seen Miles and Bass do, and she knew if it was him or her, it would be her.

She managed to turn scumbag guy around so she got the upper hand. She decided right there and then that Gould would pay for him to chain her up to this bed like he did. Charlie took the long chain, and wrapped it around the guy's neck.

_Don't let go. Don't let go. _

It was her mantra with every heartbeat while she let out a scream to empower herself.

When she crashed his head into the wooden head board she killed him with one last blow. The place where the chain was nailed into the wood broke free and when her eyes found the key on the other side of the trailer, she could free the heavy chain from her arm.

She only gave herself time to grab her pants, jacket and boots. She decided since scumbag guy did not need his gun anymore, she might as well use it instead until she had found her own weapons again. She kicked the door of the trailer open, leaving the suffocating air from the trailer behind and replaced that as fast as she could for the warmth of the fight tent. She heard the screams and she saw hints of Bass and Connor, between all the people who had gathered around the gate of the fight cage.

_He was alive. He was still alive._

Duncan stood not very far away from her, closely behind her stood one of Gould's man. The same man that chained her up to the bed. Charlie did not need much time to notice the small knife in his left hand. Right before the man wanted to pierce Duncan's back with the knife, Charlie redirected it and gutted him with his own knife instead.

Duncan turned around, surprise and shock on her face. Charlie tilted her head back.

'_I just saved your life bitch. You own me.' _ Her blue ones pierced into Duncan's dark ones.

* * *

Bass had no idea how the hell Charlie had made her way back into the fight tent. He had no idea how she had broke Connor and him free. But when she yelled at them to stand back before she shot open the lock that had prevented him and Connor to get the hell out, he could not believe she was actually there for one moment.

Or maybe he could. This was _Mini Miles_ after all.

He pushed his kid through the crowd, Charlie was running far just before them, while he watched how Duncan planted a bullet between Gould's eyes. It was not that he disliked the whole concept of a bullet in Gould's head, but _man_, he had wanted to kill that son of a bitch himself.

He had seen Duncan in the crowd before, right before they had entered the fight cage, and he had expected her to take action sooner. He had been wrong.

He shoot one look at Connor, the kid looked like hell, but he would be okay. They would be okay now. Then he found Charlie again. He had noticed immediately the sleazy and cheap nobody dress that was around her body.

With a couple of large strides he closed the distance to Charlie. The last time he had spoken with her, it had been al distance and coldness. But the last time they had locked eyes, right before Gould had dared to drag her away, away from him, her eyes had reached him, like they had always did.

Apparently she had stayed and saved his life. Apparently his life was worth something to this girl, although he was not sure why and how.

He had no fucking idea what to say to her.

Charlie noticed how he came closer to her, but all she wanted to do was to get the hell out of this dress that made her feel like a damn prostitute. The idea of Bass, or anybody seeing her like this, was filling her with a sense of shame.

' _Need to get my stuff,'_ She did not meet his eyes, when her tone was flat.

Bass understood. One look at her and he understood. He never let her out of his sight, but he gave her space.

When he saw her again, her face was closed off to him, her leather jacket zipped up towards her neck. There was one question on his mind. A question, when looking at her, he was afraid to know the answer to.

Giant walked up on the three of them.

'_Duncan wants to see you.'_ Bass nodded at him.

Charlie's eyes had been fixed at a point at the distance. She felt too empty to react. With every minute her body seemed to betray her, to give up on her. Something hurt. But she was too tired to think about the sting of pain that was beaming around her left arm. She just observed the fact that it hurt.

They were making their way back to Duncan's camp. Bass walked right before Charlie, turning his head towards her. She was silent. Too silent. She just walked behind him in a way that was so much unlike her.

The last twenty four hours felt like a surreal rush. And Charlie felt how the weight of those hours were pulling her under, step by step. She forced herself to take another step, but she stumbled. She found her balance again and told herself to breathe in the cold night air, but then everything around her turned black.

She thought she heard her own name.

She thought she heard his low voice reaching for her.

But she was not sure.

Bass had turned his eyes away from her for a couple of seconds when he heard her stumble. In one fast reflex he turned around. He saw how she hit the grass before him, before he was even able to catch her. He watched in shock how her feet simply fell from under her and her body just caved in.

'_Charlie!'_ her name came rumbling from his lips, without even thinking about it.

He cupped her face with his hands and then he forced himself to stay calm.

'_Hey, Charlie, stay with me.' _His voice was low, but not as steady as he fucking wished right now.

His eyes scanned her body. His fingers started to check her body for injuries he missed before. And then he saw it, the red flowing over her hand. He zipped her jacket open en gently got her left arm out of the sleeve. There was a wound on her upper arm and it was deep. He doubted it if was enough to let her collapse like this, but the sheer exhaustion on her face told him the wound was not the only thing that had made her crash like she just did.

He knew he had to stop the bleed, he knew he had to close this wound, but hell, his mind was not cooperating as it normally did. He told himself to get a damn grip.

Bass grabbed her bag, that had fallen off her shoulder, trying to reach for the improvised first aid kit he knew was in there. She always had some basic stuff with her. He pushed down the cold panic in his gut when he was not able to find it. And then his fingers touched something familiar. He grabbed onto it.

He pulled out the travel book he put in her bag herself, many weeks ago. He stared at the cover, and felt how shock gutted right through him.

She had kept it.

_Fuck._

He turned around to Charlie and got to work to stop the bleed on her arm. When he was almost done he watched how she slowly started to move. She was mumbling words he did not understand. She was still far away.

'_Charlie, can you hear me?'_ His voice sounded hoarse.

She did not answer him.

But then her arm moved slowly, and he could feel how her fingers stretched and reached out before they grabbed the sleeve of his leather jacket. She did not let go anymore.

* * *

_**Thank you, as always, for reading! I So, by now, you found out nothing happened between Connor and Charlie ( I hope everybody is happy with that, because you were all very worried) but I did mix things up a little, to shake things up between Bass and Charlie. Vegas is and will stay a place for me where things seem to happen between them, so that's why all this drama was there in my story too.**_

_**I will work on 'Words' again now, and I hope to publish another chapter here soon as well. Until then, until the next chapter! Love from Love**_


	13. Chapter 13 Back on the road

_**Hey everyone, so, a little later than usual, because I had a busy week with a lot of not writing, but I am back! So happy to write again! Thank you for your great reviews, as always I adore them so very much! You all have waited long enough so...back to the story! Back to Vegas where Charlie just collapsed on their way to Duncan's camp and Bass found the book, he gave her weeks ago, in her bag.**_

* * *

_**Back on the road**_

* * *

Charlie felt how hands cupped her face. Followed by more dizziness and dark swirling that made it impossible for her to move or even think.

She heard her name coming from very far away.

She felt strong hands working on her left arm. There was a sharp pain followed by a dull pulsing one that reached all the way to her shoulder. She was trying to fight the darkness that tried to overwhelm her over again and again, she was fighting to stay out of its grip. Darkness meant letting go of control.

She heard a low voice and something told her that she was safe. She was not able to fight for herself right now against whatever threat was out there, but she knew he was close. No matter what, he always seemed to have her back.

She tried to hang on to anything, something that would prevent her from tumbling away into complete darkness again. She had experienced that before and the thought of having to go through that again made her kick and fight against it. So she reached out without knowing where she reached out for. She felt fabric between her fingers and grabbed it with the strength that was still left.

She felt how somebody else put something under her head. She felt numb, she was spinning, she felt exhausted.

Charlie had no idea how much time had passed put slowly she was able to hear something again, instead of the deafening buzzing sound in her ear. She tried to open her eyes and told herself to get up.

'_Not so fast Charlie, hang on.' His_ voice.

When colours and shapes started to make sense again she looked directly in the eyes of a man she was not sure she was going to see again. For a moment their eyes just locked.

Then she felt the sting on her left arm, and she looked at bandages, carefully wrapped around what had to be a wound she did not remember getting. She had felt something when she tried to escape the fight tent, but there was so much adrenaline in her body she had not noticed it before. She turned her gaze back on Bass when everything came back in short pulses.

_Vegas. Duncan. Their battling words before he took off. Duncan again. Gould. Gould's nauseating trailer. A crowd cheering, the fight to the death._

She had to close her eyes for a moment to regain more focus.

Bass had taken care of Charlie's wound, repeating silently in his head for her to wake the hell up, watching her face and body for any movements. When she finally started to move, he felt relieve.

When she opened her eyes and sat up slowly, she looked at him. She looked at her wound and back at him again, he almost reached out a hand to her, when her eyes narrowed a bit and distance appeared in her gaze.

'_I'm fine. '_ Her tone was flat.

She got up, still a little dizzy but she told herself to get on her feet and forced herself to feel the ground under her boots. No time to think about pain or exhaustion anymore. She gave herself some time before she told Connor and Bass for the second time she was fine and they could move on.

At this point, Bass knew better than to argue against it, _hell,_ this woman had been awake for five whole damn minutes after almost being drugged to death, when she had launched herself at his knife a very long time ago. So he watched Charlie and stayed close to her.

Duncan was still expecting them, and Charlie knew she could not afford to be anything but ready for what would happen next. After that, it was time to go. She wanted to leave this city behind as fast as they could. She could not believe she had passed out. She felt, well, rather stupid.

What happened next was so far away from what Charlie had expected from Duncan that if somebody had told her about what would happen next she would thought it was a good joke.

When Bass, Connor and herself had walked into her camp, Charlie scanned their surroundings. She felt her knife on her hip, her gun resting on the skin of her back, ready to reach for any of her weapons if things would get out of hand.

Instead of needing weapons, Duncan offered them water and food. Water, food and five of her men. Of course, Charlie heard how Bass made one of his wonderful comments about how they could use at least twice the amount she was offering.

'_I think a thank you is what you are looking for.'_ It was Duncan's very short and sharp reply to that.

They were standing around a large fire.

Bass sighed away his frustration and shook his head while he looked at Duncan. Both Connor and Charlie threw their bags over their shoulders. He decided to do the same and take what the hell they could get at this point.

'_Let's go boys,'_ Bass spoke to the men, who were still standing behind Duncan. When they did not even moved on fucking inch he shot a look at Duncan, who was starting to look too amused at this point.

'_They don't' answer to you.' _Duncan moved her eyes away from him and turned to Charlie. '_They answer to her. She is the one I owe.' _

Charlie saw how Connor was trying to hide his smile behind his hand out of the corner from her eyes, and she watched Bass' his face go to a very amusing _holy hell this is not happening_ look. She felt how her face lit up.

'_You are not bad kid,'_ Duncan's paused, _'You are way better then he deserves.'_

Charlie looked at the woman before her. She was though, but at the end of the day, she had acknowledged what Charlie did for her. Both woman stood in front of each other for a moment, when Duncan nodded at her with determination and something that came close to a smile around her lips.

'_Come on then,'_ she nodded at the men behind Duncan. She nodded with gratitude to the war lord before her.

Charlie turned around and when she walked along Bass she could not resist to give him her best _right in your face_ smile. It felt so good to see the arrogant smugness disappear from his face for once. This time, she had something he needed.

She might be enjoying him, the head spinning amazing things he did to her and her body. But this moment. It was so freaking perfect.

Bass felt how his mouth opened in a not so intelligent way and he tried to keep a straight face. He failed. He could not believe what the fuck Duncan just did. He could not believe the god damn look Charlie just threw in his face when Charlie walked passed him. Her arm almost close enough to touch his, a wide confident smile plastered on her face. He was not sure if he wanted to slap that smile right of her face or it added only more for the raw hunger he had for this woman.

Charlie did not look behind anymore, when she saw that Duncan's men, _her_ men now, were following her. But if she had, she would have seen that one of Duncan's men shoulder checked Bass when they passed him. Not too hard, but enough to add to his wounded pride.

_**One day later**_

Bass found her sitting on a tree trunk. It was close to sunset and the last light of the day behind them still touched the skin of her face.

They had spent the day on the road_, damn, _had they done anything else the past months? She had left camp to get cleaned up, and Bass had wanted to give her space. But when she still was not back after what felt like fucking forever he decided to go after her. He would risk a lot of insults and biting words for following her, but screw it, he was going anyway.

Charlie had been quiet, her usual sharp insults had not been there and things were different. It was not the whole _you barely exist to me silence _he had gotten used to. It was like her mind was constantly in a different place.

They had not had a moment alone since they left Vegas. To be honest he was not fucking sure what to say or what to do. There was one question still pounding in the back of his mind. What the hell happened to her between the moment he had seen her last and the moment she showed up to get both him and Connor out of that cage?

The whole day had seemed to be filled with mile after mile, dust, sweat and echo's from the city they were all trying to leave behind.

_The look on his son's face, right before he knew Connor was going to give him the final deadly blow. The crowd cheering, screaming as a sickening wall around them. _

_Charlie. Charlie's disconnected eyes the moment Gould had dragged her away. Wishing he could rip the fence between them apart to kill the son of a bitch with his bare hands for even touching her. The fight he had before with her. Not being sure if she had been hurt or pissed like hell at him. Probably even both._

When he reached her, he saw she reached for her gun, only to put her arm back on her knee before her when she realised it was him. She did not look at him, she just stared ahead. Her jacket was closed, the zipper almost cutting into the skin of her neck.

'_How is your arm?'_ His voice was low. Bass leaned into a tree, not far away from her.

She finally looked up at him. She was taken aback by the deep look he gave her. The harsh lines in his face were gone.

'_Better.'_ Her words were accompanied by a small nod. He actually did a good job taking care of the deep wound, but she was not in the mood to share that part of information with him.

'_I did not kick you out of negotiations.' _ Charlie was surprised by his sudden change of topic. But then again, this was Bass. He hit her with those things straight out of nowhere when she least expected it.

'_I was not trying to piss you of, I was trying to get you out of there in one piece.'_

She had thought about what happened on the road, and she knew he was speaking the truth. She had been so very pissed, so sick of people treating her like she was a child. But when she had given it some thought, well, a lot of thought actually, she realised Bass had not wanted to piss her of on purpose.

She nodded at him. They locked eyes in a meaningful way.

'_So you thought I was busy screwing Duncan huh?_ _'Didn't like that?'_ His voice was low, but there was a teasing tone behind his words. _'Don't want to share all this Monroe goodness?' _

She rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. She tried to not react to his last words. She looked away from him for just a second, and she wished he did not see that. Of course he did. The stupid smirk on his face told her enough.

Truth was, and it irritated her beyond everything that Bass probably knew now, she didn't like the idea of him with another woman. Which was ironic, since she had been sharing some pretty damn good moments with a man known for his appreciation for woman. Lots and lots of woman.

Bass walked over to her, sitting down next to her on the tree trunk. He gave her a small nudge with his shoulder.

'_I don't like to share something really good either, Charlotte.' _His tone should have offended her, but instead it jolted right through her system.

The sun was setting more and more, setting the sky above them on fire before the sky would turn dark for the night.

'_You stayed.'_ His words broke the silence. The playfulness had disappeared from his tone.

'_Well, somebody had to safe your ass.' _Charlie raised her eyebrow, her voice close to mocking, but her face serious when she looked at him.

'_You know, you didn't have to. You put yourself in so much fucking danger Charlie.' _

'_I know. And you are right. I did not have to.' _

He gave her an exploring and questioning look.

'_But I wanted to. ' _

It was the truth. Charlie watched Bass face change in front of her, she kept her eyes on him. He could not meet her eyes any longer. He fixed his eyes at a point somewhere before him. He felt Charlie's shoulders touching his for a moment. He knew it was her who saved him from the lethal injection. Apparently he was still worth saving to her. He wished he had the damn courage to ask her why.

There was more silence.

He really fucking wished he did not have to ask her to next question. But he was not sure what was worse. Knowing or not knowing.

'_Charlie, did Gould, did his men hurt you?_' _Fuck, please say no. . ._

He watched how a shadow fell over her face, reaching the normally so clear blue of her eyes.

'_One of his men tried to.' _ Memories of scumbag guys' rancid breath, sweat and the weight of his body leaning on hers tried to suffocate her. '_He tried, but he failed_.'

Bass mind was attacked with strong images of one of Gould's son of a bitch men who tried to force themselves on Charlie. He felt renewed rage going through his veins.

'_He is dead.' _He heard the determination in her voice.

Bass could not help but feel pride at her words. This woman knew to take care of herself, she never stopped fighting. But the shadow on her face, fuck, he hated to see that. Whatever the hell happened there in that trailer of Gould, he wished he had been there to rip that guy to pieces for her.

'_I just want to wash Vegas of. Wash it off and move on._' Charlie looked away from him, her eyes now fixed at the stream not far away from both of them when she spoke those words. When she found his eyes again he nodded at her, telling her he understood.

Bass slowly pushed himself away from the tree, and with one last look at Charlie he turned away from her and walked away in the direction of their camp.

Charlie knew Bass had not walked back to camp. She could still sense him. He was giving her the time and space she needed so very much. But she also knew he was close. She finally let her fingers go to the zipper of her jacket, exposing skin covered in bruises.

She let the cool water cast away some of the Vegas shadows.

Bass knew Charlie knew he had not walked back to camp. She had moved her head to the side for a quick moment, turning his way without actually following him with her eyes when he had walked away from the stream. There was no way in hell he would leave her here alone, so close to sunset. So he put his hands in his pockets and waited for her.

When Charlie walked his way and reached him she slowed down for a moment. There were no accusations, there was no surprise in her face that he was still there. He walked next to her, and together they made their way back to camp.

Connor walked over to her and gave her a plate of food.

Duncan's men, it still felt weird to think about them as hers, had settled down for the night. Bass was sitting on a log close to the fire, ready for first watch.

So here they were, _again_. A fire, not far from Vegas, at night. Herself, Team Monroe and her small army. She still smiled at the whole concept. While she walked over to the wagon she thought about how she could not wait to see Miles and see his face when they made their way back to the safe house. She found her bedroll in the back between their supplies. And then for one moment, when she put the soap back in her bag, she saw the book between her clothes. Bass must have found it when he was looking for her improvised first aid kit. She was not sure how she felt about that. So for now, she put it back, deep under her other stuff.

Bass looked up from the flames when Charlie walked back from the wagon to the fire, bedroll in her hand. For a moment he was not sure what she was going to do. But without looking at him, she threw her bedroll on the floor in a casual way. In a casual way and right next to his own.

_**3 days later**_

With every day on the road they got more miserable, more tired. But with every mile that seemed to get between them and Vegas, things felt more like the way they had been between the both of them.

He had watched Charlie with earth, wind and fire. She was actually doing pretty damn good with them. Of course she was, he remembered himself, she was a fucking Matheson. It was in her blood.

They were only one or two days away from Willoughby and it was a clear night. Charlie had gone hunting, the wound on her arm healing without any problems. She came back with more than enough and it made the men well fed and content.

Stories were told in front of the fire and Bass watched Connor with the men. His kid seemed to blend in more and more with their little group.

They had found a small abandoned house they could use for the night. Charlie had offered to take second watch and had gone inside to get some sleep.

She looked around the small room. It had been a while since she had a room all for herself. Faded and worn out curtains in front of the windows. There was a small bed close to the window and she threw her jacket over a broken chair in the corner. She was removing her boots when there was a knock on the door.

_Bass._

'_Come in,' _she said, while she let her left boot fall on the ground close to the right one.

When he walked in, the room felt even smaller for a moment.

'_Room for one more?' _ He said in a husky voice, nodding at the bed, a small smile around his eyes.

She could not help but shooting a small smile back at him, remembering the night she had called his bluff in that small house and she had ended up sleeping next to Sebastian Monroe in one bed.

Apparently her smile was the answer to his question, because he walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. Outside they could hear the men, but the room was quiet around them.

Charlie felt his eyes on her skin, she felt Bass' eyes going over her bruises and saw how his jaws were locking. She broke eye contact and wished she was still wearing her jacket. She felt too exposed.

She felt his hand around her cheek, and she felt how Bass turned her head back towards him. She was still not sure why she felt some kind of weird shame when it came to scumbag guy in that trailer. Shame for the awful slutty dress Gould made her wear. She never felt so visible, so cheap, while she wished she had been invisible at that moment.

She found his eyes, and there was nothing in there that made her feel cheap, that made her feel ashamed. He was looking at her, like he had done before. His gaze was deep and filled with a look he always seemed to preserve for her.

Bass had seen how Charlie looked away from him, a flicker of shame in her eyes, when he had watched her bruises. He knew they were there. He knew Charlie had been wearing her jacket for days now, even with the burning sun over their heads when they were on the road. He watched how her eyes went to her jacket on the other side of the room. He reached out for her, his movements slow, to give her ever opportunity to tell him to stop.

When he had turned Charlie's head towards him, he felt how she relaxed under his touch. He felt how she moved closer to him.

His lips touched hers, lightly. He felt the softness and fullness of her lips against his own. He brushed her jaw line with his thumb.

Charlie felt the roughness of his skin against her face, his warm breath against her lips. His scent was close. And then it was like her body woke up again. She forgot about shame, she forgot about her bruises. It was just Bass. Bass and her in this small room on this night.

Bass felt the shift in her, he saw the chance in her eyes. He felt how her breathing got faster, little fast waves of her warm breath reaching him. He kissed her more deeply and at the same time he lifted Charlie onto his lap and in his arms.

He wanted to reclaim her, make her and himself forget about any men that touched her when she did not wanted to be touched.

Charlie felt how her body seemed to melt in his arms, how her body was placed perfectly in his lap, her legs fowling over one of his knees, her feet touching the bed to his left. The room was almost dark, only the light of the flames outside coming through the window. The soft light reached his eyes.

She remembered the both of them wrapped in each other just like this, against the wall of the shed of their safe house, not so long ago. She also remembered how much she had wished to feel his hand on her skin, without the fabric of her pants still separating his fingers from her core, before they had to stop.

By the way he was looking at her, his lips curling into a hungry smile for just a second, he was definitely thinking about the same thing.

Their tongues met, lips crashing into each other. Charlie let her hand glide through his beard, while she moaned, the sound disappeared somewhere in his hungry groan.

She felt how his hand moved under her top, in a slow but mind blowing determined way. He freed one soft breast from her bra and started to play with it. Her already hard nipple between his fingers, the curve of her breast in his hand. Then he moved on and cupped her other breast with his whole hand with an approving growl, while his lips were moving from her lips to her neck.

'_Tonight it is about you,' _ He whispered hoarsely in her ear. The promise in his words made her shiver for one quick second. He took his time, and let his hand go over her legs.

Her core was awake with want, and when he finally moved on with his touch to her flat stomach she felt how her hips reached for his touch.

He stopped kissing her and looked at her, hungry blue meeting hungry blue. Bass opened the button of her pants and without wanting to take his eyes away from her, he slowly let his fingers find her warm and wet core. He teased her, and watched how Charlie tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

_Fuck._ He was not sure he would ever see this stunning look on her face. First because he was sure Charlie was ready to kill him after he had walked to her after seeing Duncan. Second because he was sure after that his son would kill him not long after that.

But instead of that, this beautiful force of a woman was in his arms again, his fingers teasing her, before they started stroking that one perfect place that made her moan and gasp. He felt the heat under his fingers radiating on his own skin.

His touch started out light, but the way she was pushing herself towards his fingers told him she needed more. He gave her more.

He gave her more until she felt her whole body tense up. She felt his other hand wrapped up in the hair on the back of her head. She could feel his hardness through his pants against her.

He gave her more until he felt how Charlie moved her head into the crook of his neck, her fingers grabbing on to his leather jacket.

He gave her more until she moaned his name against his beard.

'_Come for me Charlotte.' _The teasing low tone close to her ear.

'_Bass.'_ Her voice low and almost too soft to hear. When she felt his fingers between her skin and the fabric of her panties, she had to grab his jacket when her orgasm hit her. It came from somewhere deep, and her body kept on crashing into his fingers with every new wave of pleasure.

Her orgasm stretched out for ever, leaving behind a deep satisfied feeling. She just wanted to lay still. Take in the scent of his jacket. She placed her head on his shoulder and felt how he leaned his head into her hair.

Bass wrapped both of his arms around her , feeling the weight of her body in his arms, and the scent of her hair close.

After she told him lazily to wake her up for second watch, Bass placed one more deep kiss on her mouth before he left the room. He left the room and left her satisfied and almost asleep.

* * *

**_Thanks everyone for reading! After Vegas it was back on the road, and there was once more time for Charlie and Bass :) Until the next chapter! Love from Love_**


	14. Chapter 14 Near the river

_**Hey guys, I am glad you all liked last chapter, thank you! :) Let's go back to the story...Bass, Charlie, Connor and Charlie's men, go Charlie!, are almost back at Willoughby, after a very intimate moment between Charlie & Bass.**_

* * *

_**Near the river**_

* * *

After waking up and a small rushed breakfast, their small group found themselves on yet another dusty road again. Connor was up front, earth wind and fire, she had no idea what Bass had meant with that, were walking behind her, and Bass was on her left.

Charlie was dragging her feet over the sandy road, and she was covered in sweat, dirt and sand. Hitting a cold stream was on her mind. It would certainly help to cool off her body, in more ways than one. Neither of them had spoken about their little encounter. But Bass ' intense gaze earlier this day when she walked down the steps of the porch of their safe house, just before they had moved out, morning sun just rising above the tree tops, had almost made her tremble. Her body seemed to remember his every touch in the dark, and it betrayed her in the way it seemed to want to do a whole lot other things to his body.

The border line arrogant smug smirk on his face when her eyes had found his, had made her want to do other, more violent things to him.

When Bass had watched Charlie coming out of the house, he immediately remembered her wet soft skin against his fingers. Well, who was he kidding, it never left his damn mind causing him having to sit his ass down through first watch with the aching sensation of his hardness against the inside of his pants. _Hell_, this was going to be another long day on the road, with a lot of Charlie. Swinging gorgeous hips and sweaty Charlie.

The smallest of sounds set the whole group on edge. Charlie reached for her gun, Bass moving behind her, doing the same, in what had become a natural reaction for the both of them.

Instead of the expected trouble, Charlie looked directly in the face of her uncle, appearing from behind a tree, who pulled it off to look almost amused.

'_Take it easy,'_ Miles held his hands up in an almost too casual mocking way.

'_Hold your fire!'_ Her voice was sharp while Charlie turned around to the men behind her. Both Bass and Connor put their guns away.

Rachel followed Miles out of their hiding place, her eyes, filled with relieve and curiosity, aimed at Charlie.

'_You look terrible.'_ She told her daughter, with a kind smile.

'_So do you,'_ Charlie answered, with a small smile on her own. She had worst greeting moment with her mom.

Or maybe not. Because Charlie watched her mother's gaze go over her shoulder and to the men who had travelled with her back to Willoughby. She saw her mother's face change, tension forming in her face and around her lips. Charlie knew her mother well enough to know that there was something smouldering in her mind.

'_So much for coming in stealth? I could hear you coming from a mile away.'_ Miles had walked to Bass.

'_Yeah, well, we are not exactly travelling light,' _ His words sounded tired.

'_You know, we could use at least twice as many guys'_ Miles looked at the guys behind him.

'_Yeah, well, we were lucky to get them.' _Bass mind was drawn back to Vegas. They were all very lucky to get out of there fucking alive.

'_All right, I was sure you were going to screw us over, but I will give you this one, you did all right.' _

Bass had to fight the urge to punch Miles straight in the face. _Dick._

'_First of all, suck it.'_ He paused for a second, watching Charlie who was walking in their direction. _Fuck_, she looked hot. Tanned golden skin, a hint of challenge in her eyes aimed at him, messy blonde locks falling around her face and lips he wished he could devour right on the spot. '_Second of all, it wasn't me. It was your niece_.'

Charlie walked towards her uncle and Bass when she heard his words. Miles had turned his head towards her. Bass was not sure if he was surprised at her actions or the fact that Bass gave her credit for it. To be honest, even with wounded pride, she deserved it. He wanted Miles to know.

She walked over to her men and told them to follow, shooting Bass one more look when she gave her orders to _her_ man.

One hour later they had settled down at their new safe house. It was an abandoned run down building near a broad and fast streaming river. The rugged landscape and trees in it hid them from unwanted eyes.

Charlie had just gotten some buckets of fresh water with Connor. Finally she was able to sit down with a plate of semi hot food. Connor passed her, firewood in his hands. She had to admit, he was finally starting to do some less attitude and some more work. Her eyes went from him to her mother, who was watching her again, standing not far away from her.

'_What?'_ She shot her mother a look, trying to figure out what was going on. Rachel said nothing, and walked away. Charlie let out a small sigh of frustration before she turned her attention back on the food.

Her muscles ached after days and days of walking and it was nice to feel something inside of her stomach again. It was not long before Miles joined her.

'_Hey kid, I heard,'_ he nodded at Bass who was sitting close to the water, not far away from them, _ 'you did good in Vegas.'_

Charlie looked at Bass for a moment and then back at her uncle with a grin on her face. It was the first time Bass had given her credit for anything. She was surprised and amused at the same time. Within minutes she was catching up with Miles, while she filled him in on the events of Vegas. Well, not on all of the events, some things she just did not wanted to talk about. When she reached the part where she talked about the dogfight and what Bass had been willing to do for Connor, she watched how Miles face changed, and he narrowed his eyes a little bit.

'_What the hell, so maybe he IS getting a nice father of the year coffee mug for his birthday this year.' _He said with his usual sarcasm, still facing Bass.

After they talked some more, her uncle actually laughing at the part where Charlie told him about what Duncan did and Bass face right after that, Miles got up, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword while he stood before her.

'_Well kid, this might be a first in a very long time. But I have to agree with that moron. You did good.' _He gave her a fast wink which Charlie returned with a small on her own.

Miles was not surprised to hear Charlie stayed to get the idiot out of the situation he got himself into.

He did not know how, but something unspoken happened between Bass and his niece. Charlie never told him what happened, but she had told him Bass did save her life on their way back to Willoughby. And when he had found out it was Charlie that asked Rachel to spare Bass his life when Texas wanted to execute the hell out of him, he knew his niece well enough to know she had her reasons. Good reasons. Bass seemed to really have Charlie's back and that realisation was what caused him to let Charlie join Bass and his kid, well, that was still all kinds of weird to think about, to Vegas.

He knew Bass would watch out for her.

He knew Charlie might not understand, how could she, she did not spent years and years with Bass, how much Bass seemed to respect her. Miles knew Bass literally shot people for the way Charlie was talking to him, never stopping being in his face with truths and smart words. And yet, no matter what his very stubborn niece seemed to throw in his face, the moron never ever hurt her. Miles doubted he ever would.

When Miles walked away, Charlie noticed he was lost in his own thoughts. She turned her attention back to the bowl of food, the bottom of the bowl, to her regret, already in sight. Then something else caught her attention. Her mother. Her mother a little bit uphill, walking away from her.

* * *

He could not believe what the fuck was happening right in front of him. Back in the building Rachel and the old man were questioning _his_ prisoners. He was standing in front of Miles, the man he had been through hell and back with, having to listen to all kinds of bullshit.

It had been an already long day. First he had to listen to Miles bringing him up to speed about the fact that Neville, the son of a bitch _again_, was after his ass. The Patriots had his wife, he met her once and instantly did not like her, and Neville was willing to trade his dead body for her. To hell with that. Like that was going to happen.

Second, Miles had dragged him away ,apparently there were more important things today than preventing that Neville asshole to kill him, but hey, that was only his opinion. Miles dragged him on his feet only minutes after he had sat down on his ass to get some food, showing him a kid recruit patriot boot camp. A kid patriot recruit boot camp with some hell of a ammunition supply closet. Well, at least that was good news, they really could use that. While he was laying next to his brother, rocks in not so comfortable places, scouting the camp and keeping a low profile, it almost felt like old times.

Many decades ago he had been with his brother, hiding in tall grass like they were doing now, pretending they were up against some kind of pretend enemy with pretend weapons on summer days that never seemed to end. _Man_, did that feel like a joke now. The lightness of that sharp memory was something he pushed away immediately, burying it deep under the weight of the years that had passed since then.

On their way back to the safe house, while he could not hide his pride of Connor's fighting skills in Vegas, they had found two patriot recruits, who were following them. Following them and doing a very lousy job. They had brought them back and now he was standing here in front of Miles, instead of getting some good old information from those kids.

'_Now what, now I can't even interrogate my own prisoners?' _Irritation was written all over his face, while he was trying to talk some reason into his brothers head.

'_Gene and Rachel can handle this.' _Miles answered.

Bass almost snorted at Miles words. _Sure Miles , hypocritical bitch and her traitor let's be best buddies with the patriots dad could handle this. _

'_That should be me in there,' _Bass pointed to the building behind them_. 'Getting information we need to beat those assholes. If we want to win this, it has got to be me and you.' _He was not able to hide his irritation anymore. He was done with this bullshit conversation.

'_We are here to win this, right?' _Bass narrowed his eyes at his brother.

Before Miles was ready or able to answer that question there was movement behind him back in the building, he could see it through the shattered windows. He saw Connor getting up from a flight of stairs, followed by Charlie. They were already walking towards the old man and Rachel, who were moving the recruits.

Within seconds they all stood together. He was facing the old men, Rachel not far behind them. Those patriot recruits behind her. Charlie was standing on his right.

'_Gene, what are you doing?' _Miles wanted to know, his tone indicating that he clearly was not amused.

'_They are children, they don't know anything. We are bringing them home.' _He answered in a firm tone.

Charlie could see the hint of doubt on Miles' face. She herself was not so sure that they were _just_ children, something warned her deep in her gut.

'_The hell you are,'_ Bass voice was a low rumble, frustration rushing through his face and body. _'They will give away our position.'_

Did he have to spell out fucking everything? He was trying so god damn hard to stay calm, trying to convince everybody what the hell would happen if they would continue this tea party.

'_Then we will get another position. We are not leaving them here with YOU.'_ Rachel's icy ices met him. Okay, maybe he was fucking done with the staying calm approach.

_That's right you dumb bitch_, Bass thought, _let's just leave Miles out of this, because as always, I'm the bad guy here, let's just forget what the fuck Miles used to do. _It made his blood boil already.

Charlie had crossed her arms before her chest, she saw her mother's deathly stare, she could feel Bass silent rage building up, her grandfather's determination, she could feel the tension radiating from Bass' body, she saw Connor's dark eyes aimed at her mother, she felt Miles his inner conflict. She knew things were getting out of hand. It was not a question _if _things were getting out of hand. They just would. And fast. She was still standing close to felt the shift within him.

'_I am not letting you leave,'_ Bass voice was filled with deep warning. Sharp aggressive lines in his face.

'_Then why don't you shoot us?'_ It was Gene. And it was the last push Bass needed.

Bass almost launched himself at Gene, grabbing him at his jacket, while the old man was very lucky he did not go directly for his throat.

Charlie had closed the distance between her and Bass in an instant, just like Miles. She did not even think about it. One hand found its place on his arm, the other hand found its way on his back. The leather of his jacket was cool under her fingers. She could feel his hard muscles under the fabric. She was not sure if she was making sure he would not rip her grandfather apart or whether she tried to calm Bass down. It was probably both.

'_You really think I won't old man huh?'_ His blue eyes wide and shooting fire, absolute rage raging through his body. He had fucking enough of this.

'_Hey,'_ Miles shouted, '_everybody put your junk away_.' He grabbed Bass and pushed him away from Gene. Charlie let go of Bass jacket.

'_Mom,'_ she could still see the aggression all over Bass his face, his stare still fixed on Gene, '_we need this information. I don't like this either, but we need to know what we are up against, or else we will never beat them.'_

Bass still felt enraged, but for the second time within five minutes he could not believe what the fuck what was happening right in front of him_. Charlie Matheson_ was agreeing with him and not keeping her mouth shut about it . He knew she had agreed with him and Miles the moment she and Connor had followed Miles order to tie down those recruits. But seeing her facing Rachel like this. _Holy hell._

'_Will you listen to yourself Charlie?' _Rachel replied. _'Are you agreeing with him?'_ Rachel pointed her cold eyes to Bass.

For the first time Charlie felt stuck somewhere between Bass and Miles. She hated to make this kids prisoners, but she also was practical enough, she had learned enough, saw too much to know they needed information, something that would tip the scale in their favour. She knew Miles felt the same, but she also felt how much he was stuck between her mother and Bass. Anyway, she was done keeping quiet.

'_I think we really need more information.'_ She raised an eyebrow at her mother and put her hands before her chest.

'_Charlie, sweetheart,' _Gene interfered_, 'this is not you, I know it isn't.'_

She still felt Bass standing behind her, she had not looked at him but she felt he was there.

'_First you save him in Vegas,' _so her mother _had_ been listening in on her previous conversation with Miles, _' and now you are defending him?' What is happening to you Charlie? I don't recognise you, this is not you.' _Her mother's tone was soft, but also on edge, the way only her mother could.

'_Are you freaking serious right now mom?' _ She had almost screamed those words at her mother. It was like she was pushed back in time, standing in front of her mother again, trying to make her understand what was going on in _her_ life. And of course again, it was about him. It was about Monroe. Old hurt and frustration reached the surface.

This time _she_ was losing her temper, and fast. She stepped closer to her mother, placing herself in right before Bass and next to Miles, her grandfather at her other side.

'_What is happening to me? That's what you are asking me? Seriously?' _This time her words were filled with anger while she did not look away from her mother. _ ' What is happening here is that I am fighting, fighting through yet another day.' _

She felt everybody's eyes on her. She couldn't care less.

'_And that is because you, dad, the both of you left me no choice.'_ Her words were harsh. She heard her mother gasp for air. She felt the shift in Miles. She felt Connor's eyes on her.

'_You know where I should be? In college. You know where I should be? Somewhere far away from here. Europe, Africa, I don't' care. Anywhere. Figuring out what I want out of this life. Building a life for myself.' _

She cursed at herself for the way her voice was breaking. She forced herself to gain control.

'_Did you ever think about that? You, dad, you were part in throwing this world back in time. It was my family that had a part in that. I see the fall out of your decisions every day, all around me. So yes, I fight, because I feel I don't get to stop fighting. And yes, I am not that girl anymore you left at the side of the road. But don't you attack me for adapting to this world and wanting to fight.' _

' _I told you before, you think you are always right, but don't you attack me for having an opinion myself.'_

'_Charlie, I just don't understand. You are sounding more and more like him, and you put your own life on the line for him.'_ The way her mother pronounced the word _him _was adding more to her anger.

Charlie could not bear to listen to any of her words. _'What I did in Vegas was my decision, MY decision and mine alone. You were not there. Yes, I decided to get him out and you know why? Because I told you before, he saved my life. He is fighting with us now. That's why.'_

She stared her mother in the eyes.

'_You always, always make it about him. I understand there is history there and that what happens here is always in that context. But this is not about him, this is about me. About me and you and the fact that you are never willing to listen to me. And I had enough.' _

Charlie felt how the energy left her body, how her muscles felt heavy. She started to move away from her mother.

'_Charlie, don't you...'_ Rachel began, taking a step towards her daughter.

'_Rachel, let her go,'_ Charlie heard Miles strong voice filled with warning aimed at her mother behind her, while she walked towards the water, putting as much distance between her mother and herself as she could right now. Leaving the rest of the group behind. When she was close to the river she leaned into a wall, her head resting against the bricks. She stubbornly fought back tears.

She had enough. She had enough of her mother, her grandfather for that matter too, attacking her, for trying to survive yet another day. She had enough of them not understanding why she was fighting. She knew she was not the same anymore, she felt she was changing, that she was thinking more the way Miles and even Bass did.

And here they were again, her mother attacking her because she had made a decision to get Bass out of Vegas instead of walking away.

This man had her head spinning on a daily basis, he could be arrogant, smug, crude and yes, the General she met once in Philadelphia was still there. The past was still there.

But here was what she did know for sure when it came to Sebastian Monroe. She remembered him, just like she remembered Miles. He once was her family too. He had saved her life. And see was starting to see more and more truth in his words, words he had spoken to her in that abandoned swimming pool. _You don't know me Charlotte. _ She owed him for her life and although she was not sure where the road would take them, he was still unpredictable, there was something in him that spoke to her. Somewhere along the road she had decided to give him a chance, just like she had given Miles.

She felt the coolness of the river not far away from her radiating towards her face, and she took a deep breath while she was standing still against the brick wall behind her.

At the other side of the building Bass had another _one of his really want to kill the bitch moments, _there seemed to be a lot of them today, _w_hen he looked into Rachel's challenging and cold eyes, full of blame when they found his.

He had seen it from the first day Charlie had brought him back at the old mill. If Rachel wanted to be a bitch to him, by all means, but they way she was lashing out to Charlie. _Fuck. Did she really did not see her own kid struggle?_

When Charlie had disappeared from sight Bass had to fight a strong urge to follow her.

Her words, her vulnerability he never saw before like this, did more to him then he wanted to admit, and to hell if he was going to show that right now. He put his hands in his pockets, and fixed his eyes on the building before him.

He remembered a small blonde girl, full of energy, laughter and stubbornness, that would meet him at the front door, a small warm hand in his. She was ready to take this world by storm with her intelligence and brightness. Instead, she was here, forced to fight this fight, that brightness from years long ago slowly fading. Stuck here with all of them in a world her family singlehandedly had broken down to the hell and where he took so much from her, from the little that was still left, while she should be anywhere but here, in every meaning of that word. And yet, she was still fighting.

He remembered her trusting eyes. He remembered the way she had sat down next to him, lost in a book, that was almost too big for her to carry . He remembered how she had fallen asleep against his arm, a blush on her cheeks after a good day, her face relaxed, her tiny hand grabbing his arm in her sleep. Miles had watched him with amusement while he came back from the kitchen, two cold beers in his hand, while he handed him one.

He wondered if she remembered him, he wondered if she realised he had been there before. That once, he was a different man. They were different, in a world that seemed worlds away today near this river.

From a distance he heard the first shot. The shot went straight through his thoughts. And then there was another one. Miles was yelling to find cover. His mind went into battle mode, hands on his weapons, finding his son with his eyes, scanning their surroundings, deciding their strategy with one look at Miles. And then, there was the sound and blast of an explosion in the building right in front of him. The building Charlie just disappeared behind. He followed Miles shocked gaze towards the sound of the explosion and both men thought the same. Within seconds bullets were flying through the air and both him and Miles were shouting orders.

* * *

_**So everyone, in this chapter we are back at a point you recognise from an episode ( of course, you might recognise some interaction Charlie had with Connor, but in my story, the both of them together never happened, so I used those moments for something else). I wanted to mix it up a little and explore two things. A theme within this story is Charlie's struggle with what her family caused: they had a part in destroying the world she once knew. They destroyed any chance with that of a 'normal' life for her. I already touched that in the house, where she spend the night with Bass, with the travelling book and her conversation with Bass. The second thing is giving Charlie more input. I really missed her opinion in this episode. She followed Miles his order to tie the patriot recruits down, together with Connor. That told me see agrees with what has to be done. She could have said no. So, as always, thanks for reading, until the next chapter...Love from Love**_


	15. Chapter 15 The barrel of a gun

_**Hey everyone, thank you for reading and reviewing, as always! This update is later as planned, but I got a cold, a super cold, and I am drinking tea and trying to get better as soon as I can. So sorry for more time between updates! Let's get back to the story, the camp is under attack, Charlie just walked towards the river behind the building to cool down, Bass is doing his best NOT to follow her and/or lose his temper with certain people, and then...there was an explosion...**_

* * *

_**The barrel of a gun**_

* * *

_Bass looked directly in the barrel of the gun. Behind that barrel was a set of cold blue eyes that made his blood run cold. He had watched how she aimed the gun at him, without hesitation._

_Fuck, was this really happening? _

_His mind was racing. So here he was, Tom fucking Neville standing next to her, a gun in his hand too. And by the look of things, she meant business. Neville took one step forward, but still kept his distance from him._

'_Well, sir,' mocking cold sarcasm dripping from every spoken word, 'This is not uncomfortable at all.' Neville said while he shot him an evil grin._

_**One hour before**_

It was not like Charlie did not understood her mother. Both Miles a_nd _ Bass had done things, crossing lines so far Charlie was not sure which words to use for it. Charlie knew she had been changing, she knew she was thinking more and more likes Miles, like Bass.

She had become a fighter, a warrior. It had started the moment she got on the road to Philly. No, it had probably started way before that.

And Charlie knew that she was supposed to live a different life, far away from the battle, far away from the daily struggle to survive. The grieve for the loss for something she would never know, without being sure what that something was, what it would be, what it could give her, was always with her. Her life should be different, but so should this whole world. That was her families legacy, and for that, she felt like she was not the one who could stop fighting.

Charlie let out a deep sigh and tuned in to the sound of the water of the river before her. She knew she had to get back soon, but for now, she closed her eyes and gave herself a scarce minute alone. She watched the sky above her change colour, night was falling.

It was not like she did not understood that being a parent was about wanting what was best for your child. At ten years old she had gotten a glimpse of that deep primal rooted feeling of wanting to protect. It happened when she had to watch her mother walk away from her. From her, from Danny and her father, her mother getting smaller and smaller when there was more distance between them on that silent path in the woods. Panic, not understanding and tears fighting to be felt first.

It had been the day she had walked out of her life and the weight of being responsible to take care of Danny had been placed on her shoulders. Like all the things Charlie did, she did it with conviction and dedication. She watched over hem, got her brother through another night, never letting him out of her sight. It had been her job, her task and it had been until the day she had to let him go.

Now she was reaching an age, where she could reflect more on that part of her life, she was starting to understand it was a task that should have never landed on her shoulders. But how was she ever going to make her mother understand this, when the only things Rachel seemed to understand was the weight of the years she had missed with her son? She knew Bass had wanted her father for information, but her mother had been the one to go. She had never asked her, or Miles, but she started to understand that it was probably Miles, already then, that was part of that particular decision her mother made.

Wanting what was best for your child included that fighting this losing battle against the patriots was probably not one of those things a mother wanted for her daughter. But Charlie felt there was no other choice.

She knew how very sick Danny had been, she knew her mother was a fighter too. But the decision to save her brother, had meant leaving her in a world where there were only two options right now, the way she saw it. Fight or not fight. And she was stubborn, strong, there was Matheson blood running through her veins and that all meant only the first one was an option.

Most of all, the thing she did not seem to be able to make her mother see, was the fact the she never felt seen for _her._ Before she could even try to make her mother understand what was happening to her, they had found themselves at other sides of the discussion.

She could talk to Aaron, he had even been there for her the night Bass was executed. He had just stood beside her on the square, no judgement, no questions about why she had been there or why she had to fight back devastating tears when the town bell had rung, knowing Bass, Monroe, was not in her world anymore.

She knew Miles was there, although he was not the most talkative Uncle but he was there nonetheless. She had even found herself more and more at a place where she even felt Bass understood her, saw her.

But she felt, she could not talk to her mother, not really talk, not without feeling like she mattered, not without feeling truly accepted.

Looking back Charlie did not know what hit her first. The blast of an explosion trembling through the building behind her and the brick wall she was standing against or the deafening sound of it reaching her eardrums. Darkness was zooming in on her, while she faintly heard screams in the distance mixed with the sounds of battle.

The first thing she felt when she regained consciousness was dirt on her face, the coolness of the ground on her skin. The first thing she heard was a deep voice that filled her with hate and nausea at the same time_. _

_Get up_, she told herself, _get up now_.

'_Well, Miss Matheson, so we meet again. How very delightful.' _

When she pushed herself away from the ground and opened her eyes she looked directly in the face of Tom Neville.

* * *

Bass found himself in the middle of battle, yet again. They were under attack, damn Patriots, again. He had exchanged one look with Miles, and both men had laid out their strategy within seconds, both disappearing into opposite directions.

He was firing and fighting his way through the kaki wall of attack, his mind on two things. Kill those sons of bitches and make sure both Connor and Charlie were safe. He made his way towards and up a flight of stairs, getting to higher ground and the steel bridge above him that would make a great point to work on his plan to kill each and every one of those assholes. Where the hell was his kid?

And where the hell was she? Still no Charlie in sight. He cursed at himself for not following her. She should be here at this side in full blown warrior mode, blonde hair flying through the air, while she killed with him with a precision that he loved so damn much about her.

He was crouched behind some large crates in the middle of the bridge. He had just spotted Truman, the fucking coward was actually wearing a bullet proof vest.

Bass was reloading his gun, when he heard the low sound of his voice. His gut had already told him he would be here, and that must mean the Neville kid was probably close as well.

'_Goodnight, General.' _The sound of his traitor voice already set Bass on edge. He should have shot him a long time ago.

Within a second Bass finished reloading his gun and had turned around., hand around his gun, gun faced to the son of a bitch. He felt how air escaped through his lips at the sight in front of him.

He had expected to see him, but he had not expected to see her. Another shot of adrenaline was pumped into his bloodstream.

'_Well, sir,' _mocking cold sarcasm dripping from every spoken word_, 'this is not uncomfortable at all.' _Neville said while he shot him an evil grin, his gun aimed at him, while he looked at Bass.

Bass shifted his eyes away from Neville and looked directly in the barrel of another gun. Behind that barrel was a set of cold blue eyes that made his blood run cold. He had watched how she aimed the gun at him, without hesitation.

_Fuck, was this really happening? _

His mind was racing. So here he was, Tom fucking Neville standing next to her. Not one but two guns plastered at his face. And by the look of things, she meant business. He could hear Miles words filled with sarcasm that it was not exactly an ideal situation. _No shit Miles_. Neville took one step forward, but kept his distance from him.

'_Tom, you son of a bitch,' _Bass started.

'_Language General, there are ladies present. You always were such a gentleman with the ladies after all, am I right?' _Neville's face changed within less than a second, the cold grin falling from his face, and cold harsh hate appeared to replace that. '_How much fun this little reunion of ours might be, let's get to business shall we. I am here to kill your sorry ass and drag your soon to be very cold and dead body with me. And what do they say? There is no better time than the present?'_

Neville moved his finger, about to pull trigger in a slow but determined movement.

'_You promised me this kill, Neville.'_ Her voice was cold, distant, and when her words reached Bass, it was like somebody punched him right in his gut. _' You promised me I would finally get what I could not finish before. His life, his life for everything he took away from me.'_

Bass watched in horror how Charlie aimed the gun at this forehead , and how her eyes had reached a place of complete and utter focussed deadly hate.

* * *

Charlie had forced herself to get up. The blast of the explosion had crushed her to the ground, had reached every single part of her body. But this was not the moment to feel any kind of pain, this was not the moment to show any kind of weakness, or to lose her focus on him for one second. Because this was Tom Neville. And he had been towering over her, only a couple of feet away. He had shot her a fake smile, a smile he had perfected, that had made her stomach fill with coldness.

'_What do you want Neville?'_ Her tone had been even, but her heart had been racing when she had stood before him. Charlie had felt her knife on her hip, her gun glued to the skin of her back but she had known neither of them would help her fight Neville. She would try, she would give him everything she had but for now, she had told herself to stay calm and find another way out.

'_Well, Miss Matheson, maybe you can help me out here. I am looking for General Monroe. Apparently he is fighting with your little group over here these days.' _He had taken one slow step closer to her. _'I am here to end that son of a bitch. Anything you would be interested in? Or are you just like your pathetic uncle, protecting Monroe's ass after everything he did to your family?'_

Charlie had felt more and more anger forming inside of her body at his words. Neville had spoken to her like he never had part in anything that ripped so much away from her. Unless Bass, this man had never showed her any other side than hate, death and betrayal. She had taken one step closer to the tall man in front of her.

Neville had shot her a questioning look, while instead of walking away from her, she had taken a step towards him.

Charlie had done the one thing she could think off right smart.

'_What do you think Neville? After what Monroe did, after what he took from me, I am going to stand in front of you and defend him?' _She had never even blinked, she had told herself to look him straight in the eye and had overruled the part of her brain that was filled with the disgust that was rising at the back of her throat at her own words with sheer stubbornness.

'_Finally a Matheson I can work with,' _ Neville had nodded at her. She was not sure he had believed her, but for now, she was alive, she had bought herself some time.

Neville had looked at her again, his focussed eyes on her, considering her words.

'_I will walk you straight to him,'_ Charlie had paused, fighting the tremble out of her voice. When she had spoken again her words were deadly and determined and she had not even recognised her own voice. _'There is only condition.' _Her heartbeat quickened even more._ ' I get to pull the trigger.'_

' _Miss Matheson, I am delighted to hear that.' _ He had paused for a moment and had nodded at her to follow him. He had turned his head back to her one more time. His words low and dangerous when he had spoken again.

'_I don't have to tell you, that if you make one wrong move, things will not end well for you.' _Charlie had kept her back straight at his words, but inside her there had been a wild storm of anticipation and dread.

And now Charlie was standing here in front of Bass who was equally General Monroe at this point.

She was standing in front of him, her weapon aimed at his head, telling herself to keep her arm straight, not to tremble, not to move one inch. Neville was standing to her right, just before her. If she wanted to pull this off, if she wanted to make Neville truly believe she was going to do this, she had to go back to that place, she had to go back to that night in Vegas. She was taken aback by her own voice, by the coldness in it, by the hate in it.

'_You promised me this kill, Neville. You promised me I would finally get what I could not finish before. His life, his life for everything he took away from me.' _She never looked away from Bass, and by the look in his eyes, she was doing a believable job. It tore her apart from the inside. She had not yet pulled the trigger, but looking at the devastation in his eyes, as far as he was concerned, she already had.

Now she had spoken words to him, that were once true. One day, not so long ago, she had wanted him dead. She had pulled the trigger herself, hiding behind a trailer in Vegas, her crossbow in her hands, an arrow fllying through the air, after she had found him fighting in a warm tent. She had failed to end his life then, but nevertheless, that was what she had wanted, wanted him dead.

Bass looked from Neville to Charlie. Everything that had happened between them, seemed to have evaporated.

Every second of Charlie standing in front him, Bass was not sure what ripped him to hell more, her gun aimed at him or her cold eyes aimed at his. He felt more like the man he was not so long ago, before the tower, before Charlie had marched back into his life. He had to, it was the only dark way to deal with whatever the fuck was what happening here. Another barrel of a gun, another Matheson. Images of waking up in a dark room to his best friend holding a gun to his head, were not letting him go_. His brother, his family, everything he had left. _

So everything that had happened between him and her, it did not matter anymore. He was not sure it had meant one damn thing. And part of him knew she had so much to still blame him for. Part of him understood. Part of him knew that it had been too good to be true. But a small part of him had hoped, that whatever the hell seemed to have shifted between him and Charlotte, had true meaning, had been real.

_Her body in his arms, the look in her eyes, her surrender to his touch. Little moments, they way he had tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and she had let him. The way she fought with him, and even seemed to fight for him when the time came. The way they had once sat on a couch in front of a fire in that small house, spending hours way she had straddled him, her smooth naked skin to his body when they had gotten lost in each other. The way he felt when he was around her, the way he had found something from himself back with her._

_The book she was still keeping in her bag. _

And at that moment, Bass saw something in Charlie's eyes that should not be there. It flared through her icy look, it reached him over her words she had just spoken.

Charlie took a small step back, and just when Neville had sensed her movement, Charlie changed the direction of her weapon. It went from Bass to Neville's head in one precise movement. Challenge and fire were back in her eyes.

Neville's reaction to Charlie was the one second and all the room Bass needed. He launched himself at Neville, knocking the gun out of his hand, his face filled with deadly force.

Neville crashed into the banister of the steel bridge.

_'If it is between your wife's life and mine, screw the bitch.' _Bass threw in Neville's face, his words a low rumble with he knowledge why the son of a bitch was here, Miles told him, and there was just no way that Tom fucking Neville would get his way.

At that moment bullets were flying just over their heads, barely missing them.

He locked eyes with Charlie. _'Go,'_ Bass growled at her.

Both him and Charlie stayed low, firing back at the surrounding patriots, around and under the bridge, while they they made their way of the bridge. Charlie felt how close Bass was behind her. They heard Miles screaming in the distance to pull back. They were outnumbered, and staying would mean certain death at this point. There was no way they could win this. Not with the force those patriots were attacking them, not with the amount and type of weapons they had.

They both ducked behind a rusty car, using it for much needed cover. Charlie was so very close to him, they were side against side. When another rain of bullets flew past them, he did not even think when he covered her body with his, his hand protecting her head.

Charlie's whole body was humming with adrenaline. She still not realised completely she made it out of Neville's claws. She was alive. He was alive. For now. But she could not get the devastated and hurt look she saw in Bass his eyes out of her head.

When she heard more bullets coming their way, she felt how Bass covered her, she felt his broad chest wrapping itself around her body. She felt the weight of his body on her own.

She ended up in the crook of his neck, her face against his chest. For a second the sounds of the battle around them faded, the world was more still, she was shoved against him, his hand wrapped around her head. She took in the scent of his leather jacket, his adrenaline and sweat. If Miles was Whiskey, Bass his scent was leather and fight.

The moment seemed to stretch out before everything went up to full speed around her. They both started firing again when they started to move again.

Right before him, Bass saw Connor fighting with the Neville kid. He watched how his kid got beaten to the ground with another blow. He launched himself at yet another Neville. To be honest if was not only about getting his kid out. Hell, this was the Neville kid who had been walking after Charlie like a pathetic puppy. And probably done a whole lot more Bass really did not wanted to think about. Bass had read the reports when Charlie was still out there with Miles, trying to reach Philly. That knowledge helped with his motivation to the whole kicking the Neville's kid's ass.

He grabbed Connor by his coat, and dragged his kid up the hill before them. Charlie was running before them, while they all passed Miles who gave them cover. Miles fired the last shots behind them, before the whole group ran into the nearby woods for cover.

* * *

_**So, in this chapter, the story is different again. This time, Charlie needs to find out a way for the both of them, and it was not an easy thing to do for her...in next chapter more about that and more time for the two of them! **__**As always, thank you for reading everyone! I will try and update again soon, I hope this cold will leave very soon ;-) Lots of tea and of course...lots of writing for you guys! Until the next chapter! Love from Love**_


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